Luke and his brothers Nathaniel and Theo are set to leave Evelyns table, with Luke appointed Executive Head Chef at Raymond Blanc's Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, and the Selby brothers replaced by James Goodyear.
Luke is expected to start the new position on 2 January 2023, replacing Gary Jones who stepped down earlier this month after more than 20 years in the role.
Raymond Blanc will continue as chef patron at Le Manoir while Benoit Blin MCA will remain as chef pâtissier.
The new role for Luke represents a return to Le Manoir for Selby who began his career as a commis chef at the hotel restaurant under the mentorship of Blanc in 2009.
Commenting on his new appointment on Instagram, Luke said: “I am proud to announce that after an amazing journey Evelyn’s Table my brothers and I will be moving on at the end of the year.”
He added: “The past three years have been incredible and we have been lucky enough to achieve some amazing milestones in our humble space. There are so many people to thank but none of it would have been possible without the support of our guests, suppliers and the fantastic team around us.”
Commenting on his return back to Le Manoir, Luke said: “I am honoured to be coming back and taking up the helm as Executive Head Chef [at] Belmond Le Manoir in January alongside Chef Patron, Raymond Blanc, & am very excited about continuing and building upon the legacy of this incredible establishment with my brothers Nathaniel Selby and Theo Selby at my side.”
Six years on from his initial opening at the restaurant, Luke rose to sous chef before leaving to work at restaurants including Hide in London's Mayfair, and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
Luke also won the Roux Scholarship in 2017.
In 2020, Luke teamed up with his brothers Nathaniel and Theodore to launch Evelyn's Table in the cellar of the Blue Posts Pub in London's Chinatown, which won a Michelin star in the 2022 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland.
In a post on Instagram Raymond Blanc explained: “I am thrilled that Luke Selby is returning to @belmondlemanoir as my Executive Head Chef in January 2023.”
Talking about Luke’s skills as a chef, he added: “I regard him as one of the most talented and creative chefs in the UK, complemented by natural abilities of leadership, a warm personality and a deep understanding of our values. Together, we will continue to give our guests the most exceptional cuisine rooted in the best seasonal produce. We will go on to build and even strengthen the most creative environment for our team to develop and flourish.”
Meanwhile, Michelin-starred Evelyn’s Table, founded by Zoë and Layo Paskin, has announced that James Goodyear will be the restaurant’s new head chef.
Commenting on the new appointment, James said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Evelyn’s Table in 2023. It has been really exciting watching the kitchen go from strength to strength over the past few years, including earning a Michelin star, and I’m looking forward to getting started with the team.”
James began his career at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in 2009, honing his craft there for five years and becoming sous chef, before going on to stage at some of the world’s most exciting restaurants: The Fat Duck in Bray, Per Se in New York, Brae in Melbourne and Amass in Copenhagen.
Commenting on the new hiring, Zoë and Layo said: “This is an exciting new era for Evelyn’s Table. The restaurant is focused on fostering creativity and originality, combining the finest British ingredients with techniques and flavours from across the globe. James has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens, and we can’t wait to see what he brings to the pass. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming James after we return from our annual Christmas break.”
Upon returning to the UK in 2019, James took the reins as head chef at Hide Above, Ollie Dabbous’ Michelin-starred restaurant a stone’s throw from Green Park.
His most recent role was at Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Adam’s in Birmingham, where James has been leading the kitchen as head chef since 2021.
