Seamus Mullen

The Climb

Training at Kalamazoo College and Universidad Autonoma de Extremadura gave Seamus Mullen a base that spans discipline and Spanish influence, two elements that show up consistently in the kitchens that followed. The first professional post was Sous Chef at Brasserie 8½ (from 2005), where the work sat inside the pace and pressure of high-level service. Spanish cooking stayed central at Boqueria (from 2006), then at Tertulia in New York City (from 2011), where the Executive Chef title expanded both scope and responsibility. A 2012 stint as chef at The Standard Plaza / The Standard Hotel in MePa, Manhattan, New York (2012) added another brief, city-centered chapter, before moving on to Executive Chef at El Colmado (from 2013). Across those roles, the throughline is technique applied across different rooms and formats, with Spanish cuisine remaining the common reference point. Since 2020, Seamus is chef of Institute of Culinary Education, where the work reflects accumulation as much as output: service, study, and refinement translated into instruction and practice. The career reads as a sequence of institutions with different tempos, but the craft logic stays consistent—Spanish cuisine as foundation, and the kitchen as a place for continued adaptation.

Today

At Rosewood Sand Hill, the culinary program sits under a hospitality brief that asks for consistency, restraint, and a clear identity. Since 2022, Seamus Mullen has brought that into the role of Culinary Director, shaping food and beverage with a grounded approach rather than a showy one. The work is built to register across the property: deliberate, polished, and tied to a specific palate.

In Their Words “I am thrilled to return to my roots in Northern California and partner with Rosewood Sand Hill to innovate the hotel’s food and beverage program.”

Recognition

Seamus's honors include James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: New York City, Comeback of the Year, and Best New Chef.