Appellation, the culinary-first hotel brand co-founded by celebrated chef Charlie Palmer and luxury hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger, appoints chef Thomas Bellec as new Chief Culinary Director. Bellec will ensure the highest possible quality of food service to the hotel restaurants and events throughout the Appellation portfolio, creating consistent and thoughtful experiences for guests to engage with local gastronomy.
“Chef Bellec and I have spent decades collaborating together, and he is truly a force in the hospitality industry who brings world-class expertise to his new role of Chief Culinary Director at Appellation,” says the brand’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Christopher Hunsberger. “He has already begun working hand-in-hand with Charlie and me in continuing to shape Appellation’s mission to put food at the forefront of our hotels.”
Chef Bellec began his culinary path in his home country of France where he trained at the St-Marc Culinary School and the Sainte-Anne Culinary Institute. Bellec then launched his 20-year career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he oversaw some of the most renowned luxury hospitality kitchens, most recently at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, The Beverly Wilshire, and the Four Seasons Toronto. Over the years, Bellec received recognition for his artistry, including being named a Maitres Cuisiniers de France since 2014, and being inducted into the Académie Culinaire de France in early 2024.
During his Four Seasons tenure, Chef Bellec formed a close relationship with Hunsberger, who formerly served as the brand’s President, the Americas. He eventually landed in Hunsberger’s newfound hometown of Sonoma County, taking on the Culinary Director role at Bricoleur Vineyards, where Chef Palmer has been Culinary Advisor since 2021.
“During our time together at Bricoleur Vineyards, Chef Bellec and I connected over our shared passion for showcasing a region’s unique flavors and ingredients – something that is so core to what we are doing at Appellation,” says Appellation co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Palmer. “Together, we will continue working closely with Bricoleur Vineyards as a strategic partner for Appellation. The winery’s culinary program is already bar none. We are eager to see Executive Chef Todd Knoll, revered for helping pioneer Sonoma’s farm-to-table ethos, as he takes Bricoleur to new heights.”
“Bricoleur Vineyards has been teaming up with Charlie for years, together bringing fresh, elevated experiences to the greater Sonoma County community, such as Project Zin, which just completed its fourteenth annual debut this month, right on our grounds,” says Sarah Hanson Citron, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Bricoleur Vineyards. “This new role for Chef Thomas at Appellation further solidifies Bricoleur’s ongoing partnership with the brand as Christopher and Charlie look ahead to their first hotel opening in Healdsburg come 2025.”
At the new Appellation Healdsburg, Bricoleur Vineyards will play an important role in the hotel’s culinary program. The brand plans to co-host wine dinners, spotlight varietals on its restaurant menus and utilize Bricoleur’s venues as supplemental private event space for hotel guests – among other collaborations.
Under Chef Bellec and Palmer’s leadership, each Appellation hotel will have distinct, tailored menus and programming to reflect unique culinary differences of each location. They plan to draw inspiration from France’s casual but high-end Bistronomy movement, where the dining experience will be luxurious yet approachable for guests.
Chef Bellec and Palmer have already began drumming up excitement for Appellation’s much-anticipated hotel openings, coordinating events and programming, including Crafted at Appellation, the brand’s immersive learning program that taps local artisans and makers, to Project Zin, a longtime passion project of Chef Palmer, held at Bricoleur Vineyards, where proceeds of the silent auction benefit the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area.
Following Appellation Healdsburg’s upcoming opening, Appellation will launch hotels in Morgan Hill, California (2025), Sun Valley, Idaho (2026), Petaluma, California (2026) and Pacific Grove, California (2027). For more information about Appellation, please visit appellationhotels.com.
