Meet The Chef
Ashley Door
Twenty years of cooking, gathered from Michelin kitchens, chalets, markets and tables around the world.
A Life In Kitchens
From a small pub in Biggin Hill to kitchens around the world.
I started cooking in a small pub in Biggin Hill, before taking up an apprenticeship at London’s Kingsway College while working in a Michelin-starred restaurant. That was where the discipline began, the importance of technique, pace and getting the details right.
Then came the learning beyond London: summers in Greece for the beauty of fresh ingredients; three years in St Anton, Austria, creating high-end chalet experiences; cooking classes across Asia; and Melbourne, where the energy and precision of the café scene was impossible not to take with you.
Every place added a little more to the way I cook, not just the food, but the feeling around the table.
Back in London, I honed those experiences in restaurant groups including Hawksmoor and Open House, working my way into executive chef positions. I loved the pressure and the creativity of restaurant kitchens, but I wanted my work to have a wider impact.
Why AD Signature Dining
The best evenings are personal.
That belief first took shape in AD Food Consultancy, where I work with struggling restaurants to train chefs, design menus and help businesses find their feet again. I enjoy making a difference, and I have always enjoyed the people side of food, helping create a moment someone will remember.
AD Signature Dining brings that same care directly into your home. Instead of another restaurant booking, you get a completely tailored evening: the food you love, the exact atmosphere you want, and a chef with twenty years of experience in the kitchen with you. That is what makes it special.
Let’s create an evening that feels entirely yours.