With over 20 years of experience, Ioannis Grammenos’ culinary career began in his native Greece where he worked up the ranks in professional kitchens before bringing his acclaimed cooking and prime steak specialism to London’s Heliot Steak House as executive chef.
When he’s not in the kitchen, Ioannis spends his time heading up his School of Meatology and judging on numerous culinary competitions including the World Steak Challenge and the Lumina Lamb competition.
In 2022, he was awarded the CGOC Master Craftsman of the Craft Guild of Chefs, a title that celebrates a record of competence, responsibility, and dedication to the culinary industry.
We sat down with Ioannis to find out a little more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
I am a third-generation farmer hailing from Corfu Island in Greece. With over 20 years of experience, I began my culinary career working up the ranks in professional kitchens before joining Heliot Steak House as executive chef in 2012. I then went on to open the UK’s first school of Meatology within Heliot Steak House, earning myself the title of the world’s first ever ‘Meatologist’. The school is dedicated to educating people on how to choose, prepare and cook the perfect steak.
As well as perfecting my craft in the kitchen, I am also a judge at the World Steak Challenge competition, and have been for a grand six years, and at the Lumina Lamb competition which I have been doing for four years now. I am also currently filming for a new series on Greek national television.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
I have always loved food however my main inspiration has always been my mom and my grandparents, who are all great chefs on the beautiful island of Corfu.
I was lucky enough to grow up learning from them, which has helped inspire me to get to where I am today. Both my grandmas taught me how to cook from scratch with fresh ingredients and my grandpas taught me all I know about farming animals, wild herbs, mushrooms and anything to do with the forest.
Who has been your biggest influence to get you to where you are today?
I would say nature and life itself are my biggest influences. I get a lot of influence from what’s happening around me and on our planet. I’m always looking to support our industry, inspire them and also get inspired, but nature is one of my biggest influences on the whole.
What’s your signature dish?
Anything with beef. I love cooking steaks and am always amazed the way that beef changes through open fire cooking using wood, charcoal, or lava stones.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
The season is the most important factor followed by the balance of the ingredients, the presentation and the wines we pair each dish with. Taking into consideration my chefs and waiters in the restaurant is also important to me.
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
My menus have always been influenced by who I am, what I like and from my experiences on my travels. I strongly believe that if a menu does not have a personal influence or hasn’t been inspired by the chef that creates it, then that menu can sometimes lack passion.
How would you describe your cooking style?
Modernist, fresh, elegant, refined, steaks.
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
Every season has its own challenges and benefits. For example we are now coming into spring which means lots of seasonal vegetables and herbs so we have lots to work with. My favourite season would be summer as I love working with watermelon, fresh feta cheese, aromatic Greek honey, fish and mature olive oil.
What is your favourite ingredient to create with?
This for me is a no brainer – beef and steaks. I always say there is more than one way to see the things around you and so am always looking for new ways to use the secondary cut or the more, perhaps, unpopular one.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
I get this question a lot. I love to travel and see new places, get inspired and taste different foods and I also love creating and designing crockery so I would say either a world traveller or a sculptor.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
This very much depends on what season it is. I love wondering around the markets and buying seasonal ingredients, using this as my inspiration. I enjoy beef, veal and steaks but I also enjoy working with fish and vegetables. I really like summer and particular love to spend time in Corfu at my family farm where I spend lots of time picking fruits, herbs and vegetables especially tomatoes, watermelon and aubergines.
When are you happiest?
When I’m doing new things, creating menus, visiting new places that I’ve never been before and when something exiting happening in my personal life that I didn’t expect.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
My nine-year-old grill that I wouldn’t change for anything in the world and also the Thermomix.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
Travelling all over the world to discover new places, tasting meat and wines and meeting the everyday people from around the world that cook around the most amazing dishes with the fleshiest and skimpier ingredients.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Pizza, I cannot think of anything better than a cheesy and crispy pizza.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
The tavernas in Athens Greece and the Greek islands, but especially the Veranda tavern in Corfu.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
The low fat/no fat/sugar-free/zero-calorie trend. They are just using other ingredients to mask the changes and after a long time spent researching, I feel it’s better to just eat the normal foods but a lower quantity.
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
Working with the local producers is much more satisfying. As well as being able to change your menus regularly, you’re really able get to know the people, building great relationships and friendships and knowing all the foods you buy have been taken care of.
How do you go about menu planning? What’s the process from picking the ingredients to getting them fresh into the kitchen and into dishes?
I just came back from Singapore and New Zealand where I visited a beef farm and vineyards to get menu inspiration. In New Zealand, I spent my time watching, working and discussing with the farmers what traditional ingredients they use to cook with and in Singapore, I spent my time in the food markets checking and tasting fruits and herbs and preserving recipes.
How would you describe the food you create at Heliot Steak House to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
We love all our guests to have a great time at Heliot Steak House so I would describe the food as theatrical and fun but also lets diners experiences the taste of steaks from all around the world including Argentina, America, Europe, Australia and Japan. All steaks are GMO free, antibiotics free and humane certified.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
I think this is all down to my mood. I like a lot of lemony flavours, mixing sweet with sour but also spicy sweet to bitter spicy.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
We cook with passion, we source our products from farms and producers that we have visited ourselves and finally, we work like a family.
What do your future plans entail?
The future is something we do not know. It’s a mystery and that’s the beauty of it, I’m open to new challenges, opportunities and everything the future holds!
Factbox
Address: Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
Phone: 020 7769 8844
Website: hippodromecasino.com/restaurant-bars-lounges/
All imagery supplied by Ioannis Grammenos/Heliot Steak House
