SAN FRANCISCO — Bernd Liebergesell, executive chef/food-and-beverage director at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis, is retiring May 31. Chef Liebergesell has been the leader of culinary creation at the hotel for 27 years, overseeing one of the city’s busiest kitchens and largest team of chefs.
Throughout Liebergesell’s 45-year career, he’s been recognized with many awards for excellence in team management, as well as his culinary prowess. Westin Hotels and Resorts elected him to the Academy of Master Chefs and honoured him with the Thurston-Dupar Inspirational Award. The American Culinary Federation San Francisco Chapter named him “Chef of the Year” and awarded him the prestigious Antonin Carême Medal. Liebergesell is also a recipient of California Hotel & Lodging Association’s Stars of the Industry Award for “Outstanding Manager of the Year” and “Lifetime Achievement” from the San Francisco Hotel Council’s Hotel Hero Awards.
“Chef Liebergesell will be remembered as a distinguished culinary leader at The Westin St. Francis,” says area general manager, Jon Kimball. “We’re so proud of the creativity, dedication and mentorship that he has brought to this hotel and our team. We will miss him dearly and wish him much success in his next endeavor.”
A native of Kassel, West Germany, Liebergesell is a graduate of the Berufsfachschule für Hotel, Gaststaettengewerbe and the Walter Hecker Institute. His passion for food began at a young age, enrolling in culinary school at just 16 and finishing as one of the top in his class.
A 45-year veteran of Westin Hotels & Resorts, he began his career in 1974 at the Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to the U.S. when he became executive sous chef of Westin Ilikai Hotel on Waikiki Beach. As his career flourished, he worked at several more Westin properties around the country in Houston, Denver and Pittsburgh.
During his time at The Westin St. Francis, Liebergesell has crafted menus for royalty, U.S. presidents and many high-profile celebrities.
