The chef has teamed up with her long-time friend and business partner Gordy McIntyre to launch Hicce (pronounced ee-che), which they plan to open by March/April next year.
It comes after Lacey announced she was stepping down from the kitchen at Michelin-starred Murano this summer after six years.
At Hicce she will serve ‘modern’ dishes of fish, meat and vegetables cooked over an open wood fire, as well curing, marinating and pickling ingredients.
Lacey, who had the winning starter on this year’s series of Great British Menu, will head up the kitchen while McIntyre will lead the front of house. The team is hoping to break down the divide between kitchen and floor by cross-training staff across both to create a ‘harmonious workplace’.
“Seventeen years ago Gordy and I talked about running our own place together, and we’re almost there!” says Lacey. “We’ve chosen the name hicce, because it means ‘current, of the moment’ in Latin and that’s exactly how we see our restaurant, constantly evolving.”
Hicce will open in central London, though the exact site is yet to be confirmed.
Lacey trained in graphic design but began working as a commis chef at York & Albany after the recession hit her design business.
She went on to work for Gordon Ramsay Holdings for three years before joining the Murano brigade in 2011, working her way up to head chef in 2014.