He is a passionate and highly accomplished executive chef with over 25 years of experience spanning hotels, restaurants and contract catering. Lord exemplifies leadership, innovation and an unwavering commitment to quality and service.
In December 2023, Lord was seconded into a high impact menu development role to lead the creation of a brand-new Defence dining offer—marking the most significant overhaul in military catering in nearly two decades. ESS served 16.5 million meals to Defence personnel last year, and this transformation needed a chef with both scale and vision.
Lord rose to the challenge. Working with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), he spearheaded recipe development for the new dining offer that launched across over 200 military sites in May 2024. His team—consisting of chefs, nutritionists, marketing and operations specialists— created more than 400 recipes in just three months.
The menus comply with comprehensive MOD standards and use Military Performance Choice labelling to help diners make informed decisions. Sustainability was integral—menu cycles were restructured to reduce waste, carbon footprints tracked via Foodsteps, and plant-based choices integrated into every offer.
The three runners-up in the Public Sector Chef category were Graeme Collie, executive chef at Kings College London; Michael King, executive chef at Chartwells Universities and Martin Wright, executive development chef at Compass Group UK&I.
To read more about Lord’s achievements and the 16 other award winners, visit here.