Abdalla, who leads the kitchen at Legacy, the fine-dining restaurant at The Grand, will leave the hotel later this month and plans to open a independent restaurant in 2027.
“Opening a restaurant is something I’ve thought and talked about for a long time, and eventually you reach a point where you have to take the leap,” he says.
“I’ve learned an incredible amount throughout my career and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. This next chapter gives me the opportunity to be more expressive and to create dishes around the way I want people to eat and experience food. It’s exciting because I’m starting with a blank page.”
Abdalla represented the North East & Yorkshire on the 20th anniversary series of BBC’s Great British Menu, later returning as a wildcard for the final, and has lived and worked in York for more than a decade.
“York has become home to me,” he adds. “I’ve been here for around 12 years and so much of the chef and person I am now has been shaped by this city and the people I’ve met here.
“There is a real community within hospitality. People know each other, they support each other and there is a brilliant network of independent businesses and producers. I wanted whatever I did next to be part of that.”
Further details of his new project will be announced in the coming months.