Fairmont Pittsburgh Appoints Andrew Morrison as Executive Chef

A city of rivers, bridges and sports fans is a homecoming of sorts for Chef Andrew Morrison. Born in a county named after two rivers-- Tyne and Wear-- in Northeast England near Newcastle, Morrison was raised in Cheshire just south of Manchester, home of the famous Manchester United soccer team.

Morrison has been appointed Executive Chef for Fairmont Pittsburgh, the premier luxury hotel offering in downtown Pittsburgh, set to open in March 2010. The announcement was made by Len Czarnecki, General Manager for Fairmont Pittsburgh.

“Andrew brings a wonderful mix of restaurant management experience with a newcomer’s enthusiasm for discovering the culinary resources of a new city and its surrounding regions,” states Czarnecki.

Morrison joins Fairmont Pittsburgh from the Four Seasons Atlanta where he served as Executive Sous Chef of Georgia’s only Five Star, Five Diamond hotel. Morrison started with the Four Seasons Miami, another Five Diamond luxury hotel, in 2006.

A proponent of Contemporary Cuisine and the Slow Food Movement, Morrison is classically French-trained. “From-scratch cooking and creative menu development are my strengths,” says Morrison. “I cook according to the ingredients I find - a deceptively simple approach that bolsters the essence of each ingredient and creates layers of flavor.”

Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating and the weekly New York Times column The Minimalist had this to say: "I'm delighted to have eaten food cooked by Andrew, and even happier to have cooked with him. He's talented, smart, unpretentious, and fun - all the things you want in a chef."

While in Florida Morrison routinely flew on puddle jumpers alongside groceries as the private chef for both Musha Cay, an exclusive private island-resort in the Bahamas, and Little Whale Cay.

In New York City from 1999-2004, Morrison consulted, developed and launched several successful ventures including The Biltmore Room in Chelsea. The Biltmore Room was named the best new restaurant of the year, and Chef Gary Robins was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2004. Previously, Morrison did a two-year stint at Seattle’s Lampreia with Chef Scott Carsberg, 2006 James Beard Award winner.

But it was his tenure as Chef/Owner of The Chipper, a fast casual fish and chip shop in Sunnyside, Queens that won him international acclaim. Food critic William Grimes declared The Chipper the “ultimate in down market, no frills fried food.”
“Early in my career I was lucky enough to spend time in the kitchens of known master chefs in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York City,” Morrison says. “Each experience has, undoubtedly, influenced me.”

For more information, please visit www.fairmont.com/pittsburgh.
# # #
ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
With over 60 distinctive hotels, including the iconic Fairmont San Francisco and Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai, and more in development, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality brand known for its warm and engaging service and culturally rich experiences. Located in coveted worldwide destinations, its unrivalled collection of classic hotels imbue a sense of heritage, sophistication, and social importance, and are often considered destinations in and of themselves. Fairmont is also committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 95 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded residences, estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.