Claridge’s chef to leave role over his demand for ‘fully plant-based menu’

Luxury hotel Claridge’s is parting company with its star chef Daniel Humm after he wanted to introduce a “fully plant-based menu”.

The five-star London venue said Humm’s desire to ditch meat from its restaurant Davies and Brook “is not the path we wish to follow at the moment”.

The Swiss chef said he will leave his role at the end of the year “with sadness”, but added: “The future for me is plant-based.”

It comes after Humm decided to go meat-free at his three-Michelin starred New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park earlier this year, saying it was “becoming clearer that the current food system is simply not sustainable”.

In a statement, Claridge’s said: “We completely respect and understand the culinary direction of a fully plant-based menu that Daniel has decided to embrace and champion and now wants to introduce in London.

“However, this is not the path we wish to follow here at Claridge’s at the moment, and therefore, regretfully, we have mutually agreed to go our separate ways.

“Daniel has been a long-standing friend of the hotel for many years and we wish him nothing but continued success as he spearheads this bold new vision.”

Humm, who started his career at Claridge’s aged 15, returned to the hotel in 2019 to open Davies and Brook.

He said over the last 18 months he had “taken time to consider what our next chapter looks like”, adding: “It has never been more clear that the world is changing, and we have to change with it.”

“The future for me is plant-based,” Humm, 45, said.

“This is our mission and what we stand by as a company, and at this time this is not the direction that Claridge’s Hotel feels is right for them.

“It is with sadness now that we’ve mutually announced that we will go our separate ways at the end of this year.

“Standing behind this mission, and what we believe in, is most important and is unfortunately not something we can compromise on.

“I’ve never been more excited about cooking in my entire career and I’m excited for all that the future holds for us.”