Independent boutique hotel The Pilgrm announces new guest chef residency

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Filipino-British concept LUTO to kick off the series with a three month residency

Independent boutique hotel The Pilgrm in Paddington is excited to announce the launch of their new chef residency series, welcoming up and coming chefs and culinary talent to take over their space.

Kicking off the new series will be Filipino-British concept LUTO, with chef Mary San Pablo at the helm, who will be cooking in The Pilgrm’s first floor kitchen for a three-month residency starting this May. The new residency programme marks an exciting new chapter for The Pilgrm as they continue using their versatile space to celebrate a range of talent from the creative industry.

The residency programme aims to offer emerging chefs a space to trial recipes, test new ideas and refine their craft. As well as creating a new and exciting food offering for hotel guests and visitors, The Pilgrm’s guest chef residency series forms part of the hotel’s wider mission to foster thoughtful partnerships and build a community of likeminded people.

Having hosted a series of one-off foodie collaborations and pop ups in the past with incredible chefs including Abby Lee of Mambow, Ramael Scully from Scully St.James, Sugen Gopal from Roti King and Imad Alarnab from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, this new long-form format is an exciting continuation of The Pilgrm’s food programme.

Serving as an incubator for up and coming talent, The Pilgrm are proud to continue hosting and collaborating with independent creatives from the capital and beyond, cementing itself as a space to celebrate artists and talent of all kinds.

The guest chef series will complement the hotel’s existing drinks partnerships with Untitled (behind Bar Termini and 69 Colebrook Row) for their cocktail menu and the Guardian’s ex-wine critic Fiona Beckett for their wine list.

Kick-starting the new programme will be Chef Mary San Pablo, bringing LUTO and her modern take on Filipino-British cuisine to west London for the first time. Blending classic dishes with contemporary flair and Southeast Asian influences, all while championing the best produce from the British Isles, LUTO serves food that is deeply personal and unique to Mary.

For her residency at The Pilgrm, Mary has devised a dedicated menu that spotlights LUTO’s signature playfulness and depth of flavour, while celebrating the season’s best.

Hero dishes include Blackened Pork Belly with Brown Butter and Pineapple; Pickled Garlic Cucumbers with Coconut and Cashew Ajo Blanco and Ginataang Na Hispi; charred hispi cabbage with coconut turmeric sauce, turmeric daikon pickles and sizzling spring onion.

There’s also an unmissable Half-Charred Mackerel Bicol Express, a show-stopper  spiced with charred chillis on a rich coconut habanero sauce, and the Shortrib Kare Kare, a perfectly braised, tender shortrib served in a pool of savoury peanut and bagoong sauce, topped ith a wild garlic salsa verde.

To finish, LUTO’s silky Leche Flan – a condensed milk crème caramel which comes adorned with seasonal fruit for the perfect sweet note.

After leaving a career in fashion buying, Mary trained in some of London’s most acclaimed kitchens – including Quo Vadis, The Quality Chop House, Som Saa, and A. Wong – before launching LUTO, a project dedicated to exploring her Filipino heritage through bold, creative cooking.

Over the past nine years, LUTO has built a loyal following with Mary hosting a series of successful pop-ups at venues like Ken’s on Exmouth Market and Lower Wine Bar in Waterloo.

Jason Catifeoglou, Founder of The Pilgrm, adds: “We couldn’t be more excited to kick off our Guest Chef Residency Programme with Mary and LUTO. We have an incredible space here at The Pilgrm and we’ve always used our communal areas to celebrate artists of all kinds. Having a guest chef taking over the kitchen feels like a further iteration of this and something we’re thrilled to be launching. We love the concept of LUTO – Mary’s passion for bold, creative cooking and her deep connection to her heritage is authentic and exactly what we want to be spotlighting at The Pilgrm.”

LUTO’s residency at The Pilgrm  will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 5.30 – 9.30pm, with seating available in The Pilgrm’s lounge and on the sunsoaked terrace. Walk-ins will be accepted where possible but booking in advance through The Pilgrm’s website is advised.

This is an intimate and limited-run residency.

Bookings are open HERE.