Chef Info

Executive Chef Simon Andrews, Executive Sous Chef Phil Gaulin, & Chef de Cuisine Daniel James

Executive Chef, Simon Andrews

Executive Chef Simon Andrews of the Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina was born in Dublin Ireland. As a young Irish child he was inspired by his mother and great European chefs to learn to cook. He immigrated to the United States to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After Graduating he became an apprentice Pastry Chef at Sfuzzi a prestigious Italian Bistro on East 56th Street in New York City. He refined and perfected his culinary skills and was promoted to Executive Sous Chef. He opened two additional Sfuzzi Restaurants in South Hampton and the World Financial Center.

Chef Simon was inspired by the great regional cuisines of the south and moved to the Outer Banks in North Carolina with his wife Polly. He became the Executive Sous Chef at Sanderling Resorts, a luxury resort catering to the South's most sophisticated palettes. At Sanderling, Chef Simon added a touch of the South to his culinary repertoire creating elegant and enticing recipes.

After his son Christopher was born he moved his family to Charleston, South Carolina where his second son David was born. Chef Simon assumed the demanding position of Banquet Chef at the Kiawah Island Resort. He quickly established himself as a talented culinarian and was promptly promoted to Resort Chef. In this capacity he supervised all culinary operations at the resort.

In 1998 Chef Simon accepted the position of Executive Chef at the Historic Francis Marion Hotel. He currently over see's the culinary program for the hotel as well as the locally renowned Swamp Fox Restaurant named after the Revolutionary War hero General Francis Marion. Chef Andrews is a Certified Chef by the A.C.F. and has become a very important member of the Charleston Culinary Community. He volunteers his time as an adjunct instructor at Trident Technician College where he shares his passion for food art. Chef Andrews is classically trained, yet his cuisine retains hints of his European heritage, which he deftly mixes with elements of Classical Continental, Southern and Low Country Recipes.