Jonny Lake, executive chef of The Fat Duck Group set to leave in March 2018

The Staff Canteen

Jonny Lake, executive chef of Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck Group, is set to leave at the end of March 2018 to pursue personal projects.

Jonny first joined three Michelin starred The Fat Duck  as a chef de partie in 2005, and was promoted to head chef in 2009. In 2013, he also took on the role of head chef of the Experimental Kitchen.

The Fat Duck relocated to Melbourne, Australia in January 2015 and Jonny was a key part of the move.  When they re-opened back in Bray nine months later, Jonny become executive chef of The Fat Duck group, overseeing Heston Blumenthal's three restaurants in Bray (The Fat Duck, The Hind’s Head and The Crown at Bray), as well as The Perfectionists’ Café at Heathrow Airport. It was at this time that Edward Cooke, who had been Jonny’s sous chef for two years, took the reins at The Fat Duck as head chef.

Jonny says: “I have been part of so many amazing projects during my time here in Bray and also had the opportunity to work with many incredible talented people.  I have grown so much during this time and I’m excited to explore the next chapter of my life.”

Edward Cooke will remain as head chef at The Fat Duck, working closely with Restaurant Manager, Dimitri Bellos.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 8th January 2018

Jonny Lake, executive chef of The Fat Duck Group set to leave in March 2018