- Former The Ritz chef Amber Francis has been crowned Champion of Champions for Great British Menu 2025. The chef - who swapped the restaurant world for school catering in 2023 - impressed the judges with her dessert entitled ‘Books, The Mind’s Food’. Made with hay-infused set cream, fermented strawberries and a white chocolate disc, served with honey parfait and a sable biscuit sandwich the dish was inspired by writer Hannah More. She fought off competition from fellow banquet chefs Jean Delport and Sally Abé to win the award, which is determined by the banquet guests voting for their favorite dish.
- Former The Pem chef Sally Abé has been appointed head of food at Cotswolds pub The Bull Charlbury. The news follows the announcement of Abé’s departure from The Pem earlier this month. Abé has a top-flight cooking CV that includes The Ledbury, Elystan Street and the Harwood Arms. At The Bull - which is part of Public House Group - Abé will not only lead the kitchen but also continue to build on the pub’s farm-to-fork ethos working closely with the team at Public House Produce at Bruern Farms, which is 15 minutes’ from the pub.
- James Cochran has left Islington gastropub The Brave after just four months. The former 12:51 chef relaunched the Essex Road pub - previously the Engle Field - in December as executive chef. According to The Brave’s representatives Cochran is moving on ‘to explore further creative hospitality projects and personal commitments’. It was reported later in the week that the chef would be part of the initial roster at Kitchen No. 8, a new rotating chef concept that will open within Boxhall City when it launches later this month.
- The duo behind Clerkenwell restaurant LUCA have announced the launch of a hospitality group. Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis, who also co-founded The Clove Club with chef Isaac McHale, will launch SMITH & WILLIS, which includes new partner restaurant Osip in Somerset and the creation of The Loft - a concept space in Clerkenwell. The duo also have plans in the works for a new London restaurant as part of the new group.
- Market Halls has acquired Brighton’s Shelter Hall from its founder Sessions. Shelter Hall - which launched within a former music hall on Brighton seafront in 2020 - becomes the food hall operator’s fifth site and its first outside London. The multi-million-pound deal marks the end of Sessions - which has billed itself as being ‘a record label, but for food’ - being a bricks-and-mortar operator.