Hilton Cambridge City Centre has appointed Mirko Spalvieri as its new head chef, strengthening the hotel's food and beverage team as it prepares for a planned renovation in 2027 and the subsequent repositioning of its dining offer.

Spalvieri joined the hotel in July 2026, bringing 15 years of culinary experience gained across Italy and the UK. He will lead the kitchen team and oversee food operations and menu development across the hotel, including its conference, events and private dining business.

The appointment comes at an important time for Hilton Cambridge City Centre, with the hotel confirming plans for a renovation next year and a repositioning and relaunch of its food and drink outlets from summer 2027. While further details of the renovation have yet to be announced, Spalvieri will begin developing the hotel's food offer ahead of those changes.

A New Direction for Food and Events

Conferences and events will form an important part of Spalvieri's new role, with plans to develop customised menus specifically for the events market alongside seasonal specials and monthly themed supper clubs. He also intends to strengthen relationships with UK and local suppliers, with seasonality and ingredient quality playing a central role in his approach.

Richard Finn, general manager at Hilton Cambridge City Centre, said Spalvieri was joining the hotel at a crucial point in its development, highlighting both his experience of large-scale catering and his background managing busy, high-volume restaurant operations.

Spalvieri began his culinary career in Italy, completing a five-year Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts at Marco Gavio Apicio in Anzio before working in a number of independent restaurants. His early career included roles at Ristorante Il Vittoria in Nettuno and Michelin Guide-listed Satricum in Latina, before becoming head chef at Sapori di Mare in Anzio, where his responsibilities included seasonal menu development, kitchen leadership and private events.

After relocating to the UK in 2019, he joined The Ivy Collection in Cambridge and progressed from senior chef de partie to head chef at The Ivy Cambridge Brasserie. The role saw him manage a large kitchen team and high-volume operation, experience which will now feed into both the restaurant and events catering offer at Hilton Cambridge City Centre.

The hotel's established meetings and events business provides a significant platform for that development. Hilton Cambridge City Centre offers 316 sq m of event space, with its largest room, the 202 sq m Isaac Newton, accommodating up to 220 guests for receptions and theatre-style events or 150 for a banquet. The space can also be divided into two rooms, while Hawking, Byron, Tennyson and Wordsworth provide additional options for meetings and breakout sessions.

Private dining is available for up to 40 guests, while the hotel's 198 bedrooms allow conferences and events to be combined with on-site accommodation. Its position on Downing Street in central Cambridge also places the hotel within walking distance of many of the city's colleges, attractions and business destinations.

Looking Ahead to 2027

Spalvieri's appointment puts food and beverage firmly within the hotel's wider plans for the coming year. The development of bespoke conference and event menus will begin ahead of the planned renovation, before Hilton Cambridge City Centre moves towards the repositioning and relaunch of its food and drink outlets from summer 2027.

For event organisers, the combination of central Cambridge accommodation, established meeting facilities and a greater emphasis on bespoke catering could strengthen the hotel's proposition for conferences, corporate dinners and residential events.

With the details of the wider renovation still to be revealed, there is likely to be more to come from Hilton Cambridge City Centre as its plans for 2027 develop.