Recently in Terence Conran Category

Allan Pickett, head chef at the Aviator hotel in Farnborough, Hampshire, is leaving the property to return to restaurant group D&D London.

Pickett, who previously worked with D&D London (formerly Conran Restaurants) at Orrery, Bluebird and the Aurora restaurant at the Great Eastern Hotel, has been appointed head chef at Plateau in Canary Wharf.

He will start at the restaurant, which is located on the fourth floor of Canada Place, on 7 June replacing current head chef Tim Tolley, who has overseen Plateau since its launch in October 2003 and is returning to the USA.

Pickett said he was "very excited" to be returning to the capital. "I joined the Aviator about two years ago and it was a great opportunity for me to diversify," he said. "But I do miss London. It's got a more discerning clientele and keeps you on your toes."

Pickett added that while his cooking at the Aviator had been traditional English, he was returning to his roots at Plateau offering a modern French menu with Mediterranean influences. "I would really like to introduce a tasting menu at Plateau," he said.

Pickett joined the 169-bedroom Aviator, which is a joint-venture from operator Ken McCulloch and Farnborough Airport, in 2008. He was previously head chef at the then Michelin-starred Orrery in Marylebone before joining Chris and Jeff Galvin as head chef at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe in 2007.

This week's Restaurant of the Week is Lutyens, the latest venture from veteran London restaurateur Sir Terence Conran.

David Burke, head chef at Lutyens, the latest restaurant project from Terence and Vicki Conran in partnership with Peter Prescott, has constructed a menu on foundations of simplicity.

Burke and Conran go back a long way. When the Irish chef's three-year stint at Bibendum ended in 1990, he went on to open Le Pont de la Tour, where he stayed for 10 years. This latest collaboration came about because Conran felt the City was crying out for a decent grill room.

Lutyens restaurant honours British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who designed the grandiose former Reuters press agency building on Fleet Street in which it is housed. It comprises a 130-seat restaurant, a 50-cover bar, a members' club and four private dining rooms. The food offering includes breakfast, rôtisserie, crustacea bar, charcuterie counter and à la carte, with a modest sushi offering in the pipeline.

After Sir Terence Conran sold off 49% of Conran Restaurants, now D&D London, in 2006 and announced he was looking for a buyer for his remaining 51% stake in the company last year, the end of the Conran era was hailed by newspapers and magazines across the country.

But wrong they were and the launch of his restaurant-cum-shop-and-hotel The Boundary in Shoreditch proved that Sir Terence wasn't quite done with opening restaurants just yet.

And now as The Boundary approaches the final phase of its opening programme, with the rooftop and hotel soon to be up and running, he has diverted his attention to yet another new venture.

Together with wife Vicki and Boundary business partner Peter Prescott, Sir Terence is set to launch Lutyens, a restaurant, bar and private members' club in June.

Presumably named after leading 20th century British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the restaurant will be housed in the former Reuters building on Fleet Street.

Former Le Pont de la Tour head chef David Burke will be in charge of the kitchen, while Café Anglais general manager Graham Williams will oversee front of house.

Picture of Sir Terence Conran at The Boundary supplied by Rex Features.