Chef of the Week: Dushantha Manikpura, Head Pastry Chef at Marriott Hotel Park Lane
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve been working at the London Marriott Hotel Park Lane and its restaurant, Lanes of London, for a year and eight months. This role has been my first career opportunity in London, and in that time, I’ve taken on increased leadership responsibilities, particularly within the pastry department.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I developed a passion for cooking at 12-years-old, right at home in Sri Lanka. After I completed my studies, I moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2003 and launched my culinary journey. During this time, I worked in all the areas of the kitchen, ultimately discovering my strengths and talent in pastry.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Creating new dishes is what I enjoy most. The creativity that comes with it and the joy of seeing my creation being enjoyed by our guests as well as my family and friends.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter, sugar and eggs. Without these ingredients, my recipes would be incomplete.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My favourite equipment is an air brush kit. When it comes to my confectionary creations, such a kit helps me produce beautiful colours and dimension on my showpieces and cakes.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I am always intrigued by modern cooking, like the use of unique and uncommon flavours in desserts.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
One of the most common mistakes I’ve seen is when chefs stop learning. In the culinary world, there is an abundance of new ideas and techniques to be learned each day – this keeps things exciting and ensures we are always at the top of our game!
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
My favourite time of year is Christmas. This season offers an opportunity to experiment with various spices, allowing you as a chef to capture the magic and warmth of the season through food. At Lanes of London, we offer a festive afternoon tea each year and it’s always a pleasure to see the joy on our guests’ faces.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My proudest dish is the tiramisu cannoli. This was the winning dish of Springboard’s FutureChef National Challenge in 2024.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Before I come up with a new dish, I draw inspiration from my peers. For example, I’ll look at ten different chefs, see how they’re putting their dishes together, and take a learning from each to apply to my own cooking.
Who was your greatest influence?
My greatest influence is my first Executive Pastry Chef, Benoit Rodriguez. He has an extraordinary eye for details, unmatched technical skills, and a deep love for teaching. He leads with both discipline and kindness – an incredibly rare combination. Under his mentorship, I not only mastered the fundamentals of pastry, I also learned how to think creatively, work with intention, and hold myself to the highest standard.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
As a pastry chef, I really admire Chef Cedric Grolet, Antonio Bachour and Amaury Guichon.
What is your favourite cookbook?
My favourite cookbook is So Good by Emily English.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Definitely the pastry chefs I mention above – they’re always implementing new techniques and are a great source of inspiration.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Kothu Restaurant & Bar in Harrow. They offer authentic Sri Lankan dishes and as I was born in Sri Lanka, it’s definitely on my radar!
