Executive Chef Edward Hancock arrives at Sofitel Philadelphia with more than nineteen years of restaurant management experience in some of the Philadelphia area’s finest kitchens. Chef Hancock studied Culinary Arts at The Philadelphia Restaurant School where he gained exposure to fine dining and the luxury hospitality industry.
Chef Hancock began his career as Sous Chef at Jake’s in Manayunk where he played an integral role in helping the restaurant earn the distinguished La Chaine des Rotisseurs dinner of the year in 1998. La Chaine des Rotisseurs is the world's oldest and largest food and wine gastronomy society and is devoted to promoting excellence in all areas of the hospitality arts. He was also responsible for catering many special events including developing a customized menu for the Clinton Presidential Gala. Chef Hancock went on to hold Executive Chef and Chef De Cuisine roles for some of Philadelphia’s most prominent chefs including Jack McDavid and Jim Coleman, and at the prestigious steakhouse Smith & Wollensky in the Rittenhouse Hotel.
Chef Hancock’s rustic, refined, and accessible style of contemporary cuisine will transform the restaurant menus in Sofitel Philadelphia’s Chez Colette and Liberté Lounge. Inspired by his roots growing up on a farm in Lower Gwynedd Township, he will fuse distinctive French ingredients with local and seasonal fare using herbs, vegetables and honey produced in Sofitel’s rooftop garden and bee hives.
Chef Hancock is highly organized and creative, and values producing genuine emotions with his dishes. “Many people’s fondest family memories derive from or are about food. I want to use my dishes to help recreate those memories for diners,” explained Chef Hancock.