Ottolenghi's head chef is going solo with new opening in 2018
The 1,800sq ft restaurant, called Scully, will open in the new St James’s Market development, joining the likes of Duck & Waffle Local, Ikoyi and Veneta.
It will be informal by design and will use seasonal and sustainably sourced British ingredients. Cooking will take inspiration from Scully’s mother, who is of Chinese and Indian descent, and his father’s Irish and Balinese heritage.
Dishes will draw from a larder of spices made in house by dehydrating herbs, seeds and flowers. Scully will also use a range of homemade vinegars, pickles, syrups, preserves and ‘programmes’ of oils, animal fats, dairy and sprouts.
“Since joining the Ottolenghi team, Scully has been redefining the flavour of London’s food scene”, says Anthea Harries on behalf of the St James Market Partnership. “We are thrilled that he has chosen us as the home for his first venture.”
Born in Malaysia, Scully grew up in Sydney and has worked in the Middle East, Russia and Europe. After moving to Britain in 2004, he worked with the Ottolenghi team at its Islington site before moving to Nopi as its head chef when the restaurant opened in 2011. He left the Soho restaurant earlier this year.
The chef is also the co-author of NOPI The Cookbook.
“Scully breaks the mould on any sort of ‘conventional cooking’; he has an insatiable appetite for bold and vibrant colours and irreverent blends of ingredients; his kitchen is an exciting and unexpected place to be”, says Ottolenghi.
Other Ottolenghi alumni who have moved on to open successful solo ventures include Itamar Srulovich (owner of Honey & Co), Oded Mizrachhi (owner of The Good Egg), Josh Katz (Berber & Q founder) and Louis Solley (owner of Jago).
