Tell us a little about yourself and background. I started hotel school at the age of 14 in Kassel, Germany. That’s where I was first exposed to the names and locations of hotels all over the world. My parents wanted me to stay in our small town to become a banker but secretly I would fill out applications for culinary apprenticeship programs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. When I began receiving offers from schools, my parents realized how serious I was about becoming a chef, and reluctantly let me go 200 miles away to Frankfurt to work at a small boutique hotel. At the time I was only 16 years old. The hotel offered me room and board and I worked split shifts from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., six days a week for three grueling years. I graduated in the top three of my class and landed my first job as a station cook at a resort in Baden, Germany. I also had a short career as a cook on a naval ship where I cruised to the United States, and this is where my love affair began with America. When an opportunity arose in Johannesburg, South Africa for a line cook at a Westin hotel, The Carleton, I took it without hesitation when the executive chef promised that he would help me move to the US. Looking at all the brochures, the words “San Francisco” and “St. Francis” caught my eye and it was then that I vowed someday I would work at this most prestigious hotel. After being promoted to executive sous chef, I was able to transfer to the Westin Ilikai Hotel on Waikiki Beach. What better place to land than the Aloha State of Hawaii! It was here that my career in the US took off, and over the course of the next few years, I worked at several more Westin Hotels in Houston, Denver and Pittsburgh. My final destination was The Westin St. Francis and I’ve happily been here ever since. How long have you been the Executive Chef/Director of F&B at The Westin St. Francis, San Francisco? I became Executive Chef of The Westin St. Francis in August 1991. It’s been an amazing 14 California Hotel & Lodging Association Spring 2016 experience working at such a grand and historic hotel. What is your favorite part of being the Executive Chef? I love the daily interaction with my staff in creating new and exciting recipes and special food presentations for our restaurants and banquet facilities. We have customers visiting us from all over the world and we like to treat them to a taste of San Francisco’s incredible culinary world. Over the course of my career at The Westin St. Francis, I have had the amazing opportunity to create special menus for many royalty, dignitaries and celebrities including the Emperor of Japan, Queen Elizabeth, former President Clinton and Hilary Clinton and President Obama. What are the important skills and traits for an executive chef to have? A strong culinary background is necessary. Having strong interpersonal skills is crucial to managing a diverse work force. Hotelier Profile Bernd Liebergesell Executive Chef, The Westin St. Francis
CH_LA Lodging News Spring 2016
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