People on the move: October 2025

Jun Tanaka has promoted Filippo Alessandri (main image) from head chef to the role of executive chef as his Michelin-starred restaurant Fitzrovia restaurant The Ninth. In his new role, Alessandri will lead the creative direction of the restaurant and has become a shareholder and business partner to Tanaka, who remains actively involved in the restaurant. Prior to joining The Ninth in 2017, Alessandri worked at celebrated London restaurants including The Dining Room at The Goring, and Cora Pearl. Of the appointment, Tanaka says: “Filippo is one of the most talented chefs that I’ve had the privilege to work with. But, what sets him apart is not just his cooking, it’s the way he leads. His calm, empathetic style lifts everyone around him and makes them want to be better, myself included. He lives and breathes the values and culture we’ve built at The Ninth over the past ten years. I can’t think of anyone better to lead our team in shaping the future of The Ninth.” Bart Stratfold has been promoted from head chef of Michelin-starred Edinburgh restaurant Timberyard to executive chef . As part of his new role Stratfold - whose CV includes Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall - will also oversee the food at Timberyard’s sister restaurant and wine bar Montrose. Posting on Instagram, Timberyard says: “His vision, energy and exceptional craft will guide our kitchens forward — bringing together everything we stand for: provenance, creativity and genuine hospitality.” Launched by the Radford family in 2012, Timberyard serves modern produce-led cuisine alongside one of the UK’s largest lists of natural wine. LIMA has appointed Diego Recarte as head chef as the Peruvian restaurant embarks on a new chapter. Hailing from Peru, Recarte joins the Fitzrovia restaurant having worked in some of the world’s most respected kitchens, including Astrid y Gastón in Lima, D.O.M. in São Paulo, Enigma and Pakta in Barcelona, and Le Calandre in Padova, as well as projects in Milan, Palermo, Singapore, Doha, and Bali. He will oversee a refreshed menu launching 13 October, which is said to honour the restaurant’s legacy while bringing a refreshing take on Peruvian gastronomy. Sam Reynolds has now been promoted to Head Chef at Richard and Solanche Craven’s The Royal Oak in Shipston-on-Stour. Reynolds has spent four years at Adam Restaurant in Birmingham followed by two years at The Fat Duck and has been sous chef at the pub for the past 18 months. He will continue working closely with group pastry chef Wendy Gilardini alongside Solanche and Richard. Andrea Coro has been promoted to executive chef at the Rosewood London in Holborn. Since joining the hotel, Coro has progressed from senior sous chef in the Mirror Room to head chef and most recently executive sous chef, where he has led daily kitchen operations managing a brigade of 80 chefs. Prior to joining Rosewood London, he held leadership positions at Hotel Café Royal in London, where he rose from chef de partie to head chef over five years, supporting the opening and development of new dining concepts. Chef Jack Godik has taken over operational management of Latin American Soho restaurant Sucre. Godik has trained under Sucre founder Fernando Trocca in both Argentina and Uruguay and will lead Sucre Soho into its next chapter by refining and simplifying the menu. Drawing on his experience in French and European fine dining, the restaurant is also introducing trusted produce suppliers built through strong relationships during Godik’s career. Mark Hastings has been named as Head of OXO at Harvey Nichols. As part of the role Hastings will oversee the running of The OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, which opened in 1996 and which is located on the eighth floor of the South Bank landmark. Hastings has held roles including director of Restaurants at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group; general manager at City Social; and director of food and beverage at Raffles London. He was most recently director of operations at Broadwick Soho. Notting Hill restaurant and bar Caia has welcomed John Javier as its new executive chef. Born in the Philippines and brought up in Australia, Javier started out in the kitchens of top restaurants including Quay, Noma and Momofuku Seiobo before coming to the UK to run projects including The Tent (at the end of the universe). He will help transform Caia into ‘a modern bistro with global edge’ taking inspiration from his time at the helm of kitchens across the world. New dishes under his stewardship include crispy sweetbread saltimbocca with guanciale and sage; beef tartare with tosazu and oyster; and courgette carpaccio, stracciatella, pesto and green tea. Gizzi Erskine is returning to London’s Mare Street Market as chef creative director, developing ‘revitalised’ menus across both its sites and launching a health concept. Mare Street Market’s dining halls in Hackney and Kings Cross will serve menus developed by Erskine from November that will produce-led, French-Americana brasserie dishes. Erskine will also take the reins of the Mare Street Market delicatessen, which will serve a new menu of deep-filled focaccia sandwiches and ‘bold salads’. She will also oversee a line-up of pop-ups and guest residencies featuring industry friends from home and away across both sites, and later launch an ‘all-new health concept’. Miki Kuusi has replaced Will Shu as the CEO of Deliveroo following the acquisition of the delivery company by DoorDash. Kuusi will relocate to London in the coming months to take on the new role, in addition to his existing role as head of international at DoorDash. Shu stepped away from the company he founded last month saying it was ‘the right time to step down’ and that ‘great things lie ahead’ for the company. JKS Restaurants has named Pavan Pardasani as global CEO, ahead of plans for international expansion. Pardasani joins the group with more than two decades of executive-level experience and will oversee strategy, development, and operations. He most recently served as chief marketing officer at Tao Group, the operator of Hakkasan and other premium dining concepts, where he led the global marketing strategy and oversaw guest experiences.His appointment is joined by Rob Rawleigh as US managing partner and Rick Tomich as US vice president of marketing for JKS’ Indian restaurants. Laura Irving will remain as JKS’ Indian restaurants MD for the UK. The news comes as the multi-concept restaurant group plans to make its US debut with Punjabinspired concept Ambassadors Clubhouse in Manhattan’s NoMad neighbourhood, followed by a Gymkhana outpost at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in November. Glebe House in east Devon has welcomed David Knapman a its new business partner and head chef. Knapman has worked in some of the world’s most respected kitchens, having held roles that include senior sous chef at The Fat Duck, and chef pâtissier at the three-Michelin star Maison Lameloise in Burgundy. His appointment coincides with the launch of two guest cabins and a woodland sauna at the property, which was opened by Olive and Hugo Guest in 2021.

People on the move: October 2025

This month’s key personnel changes in hospitality.

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