Chef Ken Gladysz was drawn to the culinary
profession because he could create a variety of dishes that reflected his personality while utilizing many different products. He loves that the culinary world is ever-changing, offering new challenges, opportunities, and the chance to work with interesting and diverse people.

Gladysz has undertaken quite a culinary journey to get to his current post as Executive Chef of THE HOTEL HERSHEY. Beginning in Florida and taking him as far as Indonesia, his career has generated a style rich in international influences combined with a “down-home” feel. The result is surprising and creative fare, an ideal complement to the Circular Dining Room, The Hotel’s formal restaurant.

Gladysz entered the culinary field in 1981. After a five-year period as sauté chef at Aldo’s Black Pearl, a fine-dining restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, Gladysz obtained his certification from the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation, Gladysz was hired at Actuelle, a trend-setting restaurant in Dallas. There he learned about New American cuisine. Gladysz joined the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort Company in 1992 as sous chef at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. The decade that followed was a whirlwind of international activity with placements including Tokyo, Japan; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Bali, Indonesia. Gladysz was instrumental in introducing western cuisine in these properties as well as learning the techniques of both Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine. Gladysz’s domestic experience includes assignments at the Five-Diamond Four Seasons Houston Hotel and The Four Seasons Resort & Club in Irving, Texas. Gladysz’s most recent position was as executive chef at The Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which he opened for the company in 2003.

At THE HOTEL HERSHEY, Gladysz motivates his kitchen team (which grows seasonally from 40 to 60) to consistently prepare exceptional cuisine using high-quality products. He draws on his vast experience and expands beyond European classical technique to incorporate the cuisines of Japan and Indonesia, as well as the spirited and original fare from the American West.

Gladysz believes that chocolate is a great ingredient. Because almost everyone associates it with sweets, he enjoys the creativity of taking chocolate and chocolate products and incorporating them into savory dishes.