Andrew Sutton, culinary director of signature dining for the Disneyland Resort, has departed after more than 25 years at the resort. The news, first reported by Mickey Visit, was confirmed by Disneyland officials.
Officials did not say why, or exactly when, the longtime chef left.
Sutton, who joined Disney in April 2000, led the kitchens at the newly revamped Napa Rose, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Carthay Circle at Disney California Adventure and the private Club 33 at Disneyland. In 2017, he debuted 21 Royal, an $18,000 multi-course dining experience perched above the Anaheim theme park’s New Orleans Square.
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Sutton, who was raised in Dallas, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. His previous credits include executive chef at Auberge du Soleil in Napa and a stint working with Dean Fearing at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Texas.
The chef has credited cooking for his siblings with sparking his interest in the kitchen. “I loved to cook, and we had a lot of support from the folks,” said Sutton in a 2015 interview with the Orange County Register. “What we enjoyed most was the joy around the table. That was our centerpiece: four boys and two parents. We would talk about everything. Nothing was sacred and there was always good humor. That was my parents’ lifestyle; they enjoyed cooking and sharing.”
This news follows a wave of executive shifts at The Walt Disney Company.
In early February, the Burbank-based giant announced that Josh D’Amaro would succeed outgoing chief executive Bob Iger, with his tenure beginning March 18. In the wake of that promotion, the company named Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum as the new Chairman of Disney Experiences on March 10, while Jill Estorino, formerly Disney Parks International President, was tapped to lead the Disneyland Resort. She will oversee Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the three Disney hotels.