Head Chef Tristan Mason has quit the Orrery less than a year after joining the D&D restaurant.
Mason faced a tough time when he made the switch back to London from The Hare in Berkshire, with the departure of previous head chef Allan Pickett leading to a staff exodus.
He duly rebuilt the kitchen team, but the pressures of returning the restaurant to the glory days it enjoyed as part of the Conran portfolio seem to have proved too much for the Michelin-starred chef.
The Orrery was demoted from its one star status in this year`s Michelin guide, which it had held since 1999. Industry sources believe it was this blow which lead to Mason`s decision to quit.
The Orrery, meanwhile, will now be on the hunt for its third head chef in two years, with Mason following Andr? Garrett and Allan Pickett out the door.