Former MasterChef contestant Kim Woodward becomes first woman head chef at Savoy Grill restaurant

Woodward says she will continue the very 'masculine' traditions established by the Grill’s first head chef, Auguste Escoffier

The grill lost a Michelin star when it closed for refurbishment in 2007 (GETTY)

A former MasterChef contestant has won a far more historical prize- she has become the first woman appointed as head chef at the London’s exclusive Savoy Grill restaurant in its 126-year-history.

Kim Woodward, who was a semifinalist of the 2011 Masterchef - the Professionals, has been chosen to run the prestigious kitchen which has hosted prime ministers, foreign dignitaries, celebrities and captains of industry since it first opened in 1889.

Woodward, 34, told The Evening Standard: “It is an absolute honour for me to be the head chef here in one of London’s most iconic restaurants. Obviously there is so much history here, and the people who come through the door come here for the classic dishes that the Grill is famous for.”

She previous worked as a sous chef at the venue between 2010 and 2012 before leaving to become the head at the York & Albany gastropub in Camden, owned by Gordon Ramsay, where she led a team of 35 chefs.

Woodward, who lives in Camden, said she would continue the very “masculine” traditions established by the Grill’s first head chef, Auguste Escoffier, which include a daily roast trolley and classics such as Beef Wellington and Dover sole.

She believes it is more important to keep the Grill’s traditions of “great quality cuts of meat and fish” rather than regain the Michelin star lost when it closed for refurbishment in 2007.

She said she was “proud” to make history as the Grill’s first female chef telling The Daily Telegraph: “To be the first here in 126 years makes me feel like I'm writing history.

“This is a massive step as a female chef because it shows the trust that the company has in me now. I've earned that trust from some really hard work.

“I am so proud to be where I am today. I love that I'm a female chef that has come this far [especially] to be at the Savoy, a place that is so famous not just for its food but the people who have eaten here.”