CHICAGO (June 8, 2021) — The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile is proud to announce the appointment of Andrew Court as Executive Chef. In this role, Court will oversee all areas of food production and restaurants at the property. Court brings over 30 years of fine dining service and hotel operations experience across the country and internationally to the historic Chicago property.
“Good to great hotel experiences are often made through memorable, delicious, and flawlessly executed food,” said Chris Cawley, General Manager. “Andrew Court has vast experience working with luxury hospitality brands, so we are thrilled to welcome his creative culinary approach to the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile team.”
Court traces his love of cooking all the way back to his childhood. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, he was first introduced to his family’s garden by his grandmother. Through gardening and beekeeping and producing their respective food products at a young age, these nostalgic hobbies continue to inform his palette today as he explores new flavors and mentors the next generation of culinary professionals.
Following his passion for cooking, Court enrolled at University of Birmingham where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Food and Tourism studies. He later obtained his master’s certificate in Hospitality Management from Cornell University. Over the years he has expanded his cross-functional culinary acumen through industry training programs covering restaurant revenue management, food service management, kitchen management, and leadership.
In 1982, Court began his hospitality career at the Excelsior Hotel in his hometown of Birmingham. From there, he served in a wide range of roles internationally—from Commis to Executive Sous Chef, he shaped his unique culinary perspective working in restaurants based in Portugal, Bermuda and Canada. In 2014, he moved to the United States to join the team at The Fairmont San Francisco in San Francisco, California in the role of Executive Chef. Then in 2016, he joined the team at The Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California as Executive Sous Chef. The following year, he moved cross country to serve as Executive Chef at another Four Seasons Hotel property in Washington D.C..
Most recently, Court served as a Consulting Chef for The Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, Pearle Hotel Development, and a collection of 5 star-rated boutique hotels where he focused on overhauling banquet and wedding operations, refining operational consistencies, revamping strategic culinary direction, and building relationships with local purveyors and producers.
“The best part about my career has been working with such a wide variety of hospitality brands in so many roles,” said Court. “I’m excited for this new adventure and to bring innovative thinking and technique to this historic Chicago property.”
As Court looks ahead to his time at The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, he most looks forward to applying his creative, yet organized approach to culinary operations to the property-wide food and beverage programs, including the property’s events and catering services. A believer in utilizing each ingredient in its entirety to minimize food waste, he’s excited to work towards making the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile’s culinary program one of the most sustainable programs in the city. He will achieve this by sourcing ingredients from regional farms to reduce the carbon footprint created by imports or funneling the hotel’s food waste to composting programs. His goal is to continue elevating the property’s offerings, establishing it as a culinary anchor of Chicago’s top retail and tourism destination, Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile.
