[Mercure Yokosuka] New Chef Management System Fusing French Essence with 'Yokosuka-ness'｜Announcement of Appointments for Executive Chef, Deputy Executive Chef, and Pastry Chef

Mercure Yokosuka (3-27 Honcho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa; General Manager: Naoto Yoshizumi), a community-based hotel with the concept of being 'The starting line for fun on the Miura Peninsula and a unique Yokosuka experience,' has launched a new chef management team consisting of an Executive Chef, Deputy Executive Chef, and Pastry Chef. This initiative aims to deliver new dining experiences that fuse the diverse food culture of the military port city of Yokosuka with the essence of the French-born hotel brand, Mercure.

The team will work on developing new menus and culinary proposals, valuing the 'culinary charm found only in this city,' including dishes using fresh ingredients from the local Miura Peninsula, menus reflecting the exotic atmosphere of Yokosuka, colorful plates incorporating French techniques, and seasonal sweets.

Furthermore, while incorporating perspectives on local production for local consumption and sustainability, the hotel will propose 'hotel gourmet experiences unique to Yokosuka' that are loved by customers in a wide range of scenes, from lunch and dinner to tea time and banquets.

Under the new chef team, the hotel will continue to create new values unique to Mercure Yokosuka, leveraging individual expertise and sensibilities, and will continue to promote the culinary charms that can only be tasted here through seasonal fairs and regional collaborations.

Executive Chef Shoji Shimada has extensive experience at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, serving as chef for multiple restaurants. With a focus on French cuisine, he has participated in the grand openings of the Westin Hotel Sendai and Tokyo Marriott Hotel. He is a member of the Académie Culinaire de France.

Deputy Executive Chef Kaoru Yasuda, a native of Osaka, has accumulated a wide range of cooking experience in banquets, restaurants, and Italian cuisine at Hotel Senko and Hilton Osaka, and participated in the grand openings of Ramada Osaka and InterContinental Osaka. Within the Mori Trust Group, he has served as chef at Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Osaka, Tokyo Marriott Hotel, and Courtyard by Marriott Hakuba.

Pastry Chef Yoshifumi Takahashi started his career at a restaurant in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. He has worked in the bridal field and honed his skills in baked goods at Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku, and served as Pastry Chef at ANA InterContinental Appi Kogen Resort in Iwate Prefecture.

The 19th-floor restaurant, 'Bistro Bourgogne,' offers dishes incorporating local Miura Peninsula ingredients alongside bay views of Yokosuka Port.