Patrick Powell leaves the Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra

The Staff Canteen

Patrick Powell today announced his departure from The Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra

Head Chef Charlie Crote is now running The Midland Grand Dining Room, and Patrick's final service at Allegra will be on the 14th of July.

Patrick's departure from the seven-year partnership with developer and hotelier Harry Handelsman, owner of St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and The Stratford, was cited as a way to allow him to focus on opportunities more aligned with his long-term culinary vision.

Commenting on his time at The Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra, Patrick said, "To have had the opportunity to open restaurants in not one, but two of London's most iconic buildings has been a privilege, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved, none of which would have been possible without the hard work of my brilliant front and back of house teams, both past and present.  Thank you to all of them as well as all of the guests over the years, many of whom have not only become regulars, but friends too.  However, the time has come for me to move on and I am hugely excited for the future and my next chapter." 

In a statement released earlier today, Harry Handelsman said "I would like to thank Patrick for his hard work, talent and passion in making The Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra the success they are today.  It's been a pleasure working with him for the best part of a decade and I wish him all the best for what's coming next ." 

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 10th July 2024

Patrick Powell leaves the Midland Grand Dining Room and Allegra