Charleston, SC – The Dewberry Charleston announced today the appointment of Geoffroy Deconinck as Executive Chef. With 15 years of French cuisine expertise developed while cooking alongside some of the world’s most renowned chefs—from Daniel Boulud and Jean-Yves Schillinger to David Bouley and Jean-François Piège—Deconinck will take the helm of the hotel’s culinary operations, overseeing the restaurant Henrietta’s, events, banquets and in-room dining service.
“We are truly thrilled to welcome Chef Deconinck to The Dewberry family—and not just because of his impressive resume,” says John Dewberry, Chairman and CEO of Dewberry Capital Corporation and Founder of The Dewberry Charleston. “His ideas bring a fresh point of view and we look forward to watching him further elevate the guest experience,”
For his part, Deconinck sees a natural link between Charleston’s approach to food and its French heritage. “There is great synergy between Charleston’s Southern roots and the time-honored techniques of French cooking,” he says. “Both the city and the cuisine resonate with a discerning guest to make a meaningful—and tasteful—memory merging tradition with modern interpretation.”
Born and raised in Brussels, Deconinck developed a passion for food in early childhood through cooking lessons with his grandmother, whose recipes he still references today. Later, he graduated with honors from the Culinary Arts and Hotel Management school at the campus of CERIA, and from 1996-2000, he was immersed in learning Escoffier’s cooking techniques and recipes while simultaneously working at L’Epicerie in Brussels under the award-winning Chef David Martin. An affinity for French cuisine grew immensely under Martin’s influence and propelled Deconinck to his next challenge of working for the famous Alsatian Chef, Jean-Yves Schillinger at Destinée in New York City. Deconinck was then personally referred to Chef Alain Ducasse for a position in his 3 Michelin stars restaurant in Paris, France at the Plaza Athénée. During his tenure there, he worked under Chef Jean-François Piège, a perfectionist who instilled respect for each ingredient and the knowledge to extract the best from them without betraying them.
Deconinck moved back to the United States following his time in France and began working as Chef de partie at David Bouley’s new Tribeca restaurant, which earned 2 Michelin stars. He went on to work under Daniel Boulud both as Chef de partie at Daniel as well as Executive Sous-Chef at Café Boulud, with a combined 3 Michelin stars between the two restaurants. Most recently, Deconinck has served as Executive Chef at Glenmere Mansion, Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn and Windsor Country Club, in addition to starting a private catering business.
Additional accolades for Chef Deconinck include two nominations for Food & Wine‘s People’s Best New Chef Award, as well as two invitations to cook at the James Beard House.
Henrietta’s is located at 334 Meeting Street and reservations may be made by visiting thedewberrycharleston.com. For press inquiries or additional information, please contact Meg Connolly Communications at dewberry@mcc-pr.com or by calling 212.505.8200.
