William Drabble to join the St James's Hotel and Club?

Is ex-Aubergine chef William Drabble set to join the St James's Hotel and Club in central London?

Drabble, who left Aubergine last month, has been linked to the property's vacant restaurant space, formerly occupied by the three-Michelin-starred German chef Dieter Müller.

Alan Murchison, chef-patron of the Michelin-starred L'Ortolan and La Bécasse restaurants, has also been linked to the 60-bedroom hotel in Mayfair but rumours suggest Drabble has won the race.

Drabble, who took over the reins at Aubergine from Gordon Ramsay in 1998, spent more than a decade behind the stove at the Chelsea restaurant. During this time he retained its Michelin star and successfully launched a sister restaurant in Marlow last autumn.

He left to pursue other opportunities and his departure coincided with that of the London Fine Dining Group's marketing and operations director David Herbert. 

St James's general manager Henrik Muehle, who joined from the Capital and Levin hotels in Knightsbridge last month, declined to comment on the rumours.

He did however confirm that former colleague Christoph Thuilat, restaurant manager at the two-Michelin-starred Capital is joining him to become food and beverage manager at the St James.

Lots of staff changes at the Capital then, could there be more to come?