The former Fat Duck head development chef will be replacing Sean Burbidge at the Michelin-starred Knightsbridge venue at the end of this month.
This is not Snowball’s first stint with the Gordon Ramsay Group: he was senior sous-chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s between 2008 and 2011, managing a brigade of 35, and later worked under Clare Smyth in Restaurant Gordon Ramsay assisting with dish development.
He also has experience working as a sous chef in the Leyton Hall in South Africa and at Grayshott Spa in HindHead, England.
Gordon Ramsay said: “Having previously been part of our Group and developing his skills inside the company we are very confident that Neil will deliver the high standard dining experience that Pétrus is renowned for, I'm delighted to welcome him back.”
Snowball added: "It’s great to be coming back to where I have spent the majority of my career. This is a big opportunity for me but I can't wait to get in the kitchen of such a prestigious restaurant."
Pétrus reopened its doors in May 2010 after a two-year hiatus. Launched in 1999 by Marcus Wareing for Gordon Ramsay Holdings, it won two Michelin stars after moving from its original St James’s location to the Berkeley Hotel.
The restaurant closed in 2008 after a fall-out between the two chefs, and when it reopened two years later it was under the helm of executive chef Mark Askew and head chef Sean Burbidge.