Altura Concepts has brought Chef Mohammad Sameer on board as Executive Pastry Chef, adding more than 15 years of international luxury hospitality experience and specialised expertise in French patisserie, modern Indian desserts and restaurant pre-opening operations to its growing multi-concept dining portfolio.

The role places Chef Sameer’s pastry expertise within a diverse collection of restaurants, including AMBRA, a live-fire steakhouse; MIKHUNA, specialising in Nikkei cuisine; IL FORNO, an Italian trattoria; ZAYA, an Indian-Persian kitchen; PRIME, an Italian steakhouse; PLUMA, a fast-casual rotisserie chicken concept; and FARINA, a Roman-style pizzeria. His experience in menu development and culinary research and development will support dessert innovation across these distinct dining concepts.

Chef Sameer specialises in classical French patisserie, modern Indian desserts, viennoiserie and gelato artistry. His professional expertise also includes menu engineering, product costing, proprietary recipe development, kitchen engineering and standard operating procedures. He has contributed to launching more than 10 high-end restaurant concepts globally, combining creative development with operational planning and team leadership.

Before joining Altura Concepts, Chef Sameer worked with several hospitality and food-service organisations, including Andaaz Caterers LLC in New Jersey; Vanguard Company in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Umbrella, Naya Daur, Be’ken and Laffah in Saudi Arabia; Andaz by Hyatt in Aerocity, New Delhi; and The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. His professional journey across the United States, Saudi Arabia, India and Switzerland has provided exposure to varied culinary traditions and international hospitality standards.

Commenting on his new role, Chef Mohammad Sameer said, “Pastry is an essential part of the overall dining experience, bringing together creativity, technique and flavour. At Altura Concepts, my focus will be on developing distinctive dessert offerings that complement each restaurant’s identity while maintaining high standards of quality, consistency and presentation.”

Beyond pastry development, Chef Sameer brings experience in multi-unit operations, kitchen team building, recruitment strategies and pre-opening planning. He has also served as a professional judge at international culinary competitions, contributing to the broader culinary community.

His experience across restaurant launches, culinary research and development, and specialised pastry production brings a combination of creative and operational expertise to Altura Concepts as it develops its varied dining portfolio in Texas.