Tisdall-Downes founded Native alongside Imogen Davis as a street food stall in London’s Covent Garden before moving it to Borough Market and Brown’s in Mayfair. It also had a brief stint at Osea Island in Essex.
The Native brand was bought by investment vehicle Hestia Hospitality in 2024 and in June that year it took over the site on the Netherwood Estate on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire border that was previously occupied by Pensons with Tisdall-Downes and Davis relocating from London to lead it.
It is understood that the restaurant has closed.
Announcing the news on social media, Tisdall-Downes said his resignation was done with a ‘heavy heart’.
“From Covent Garden to Borough Market, Osea Island and Mayfair and finally the abundant Netherwood Estate,” he says. “A humble street food stall started in 2012, Native has grown into a Michelin awarded brand that allowed me to travel the world and cook with some of my heroes.
“It’s therefore with a heavy heart that I have resigned from my position as executive chef of Native under its current guardians Hestia Ltd. I wish Hestia all the best and can’t wait to follow their next adventures.”
Hestia is led by Andrew Fishwick, who was previously CEO of restaurant partnerships firm The Pepper Collective and has a management team that includes CFO Paul Helmsley, former group finance director of The Innovation Group; non-executive chair Simon Esner; and non-executive director Steve Smith, who advised on transactions during nearly three decades at Morgan Stanley.
Special advisors include former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King.
Last year it said it had secured a £50m ‘war chest’ to target acquisitions and consolidation opportunities in the UK hospitality sector.
