Ashlee Skrzelinski has been appointed the new executive chef of Pullman Melbourne on Swanston.
The William Angliss graduate will lead the culinary direction at the hotel’s establishments including Eva’s Restaurant & Bar, Room 1954 and the Club Lounge.
“The culture at the hotel and at Erdigroup is second to none,” Skrzelinski. “I love working within a team and having the junior chefs grow and get inspired by the things we create together. It’s the most rewarding aspect of being a chef.”
Skrzelinski worked at The Broadmoor resort in Colorado before she returned to Australia and joined the group in 2016.
The chef completed stints at the Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley and the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park, where she rose to the role of head chef.
Skrzelinski is heavily influenced by her British and Polish heritage, describing her food as “modern Australian with a European influence.”
Example dishes from Eva’s Restaurant & Bar include pan seared duck breast cauliflower purée, confit beetroot, orange jus and snow pea leaf salad; slow braised lamb shank with baby vegetables and mash potato and crispy-skin pork belly with citrus poached prawn, apple & pistachio salad and celeriac purée.
Skrzelinski will put her own contemporary spin on home-style dishes across multiple venues while mentoring the group’s budding kitchen talent.