Due to assume the role in September, Byatt will replace German-born Italian chef Heinz Beck who is to leave the hotel at the end of the month, little more than a year after he opened his Beck at Brown’s restaurant there.
In contrast to Beck’s Italian focus, Byatt will oversee a menu that ‘embraces the ongoing evolution of British cuisine’ and ‘celebrates contemporary British cooking complemented by European influences’.
Byatt began his career at Claridge’s, before going on to work with Phil Howard at The Square.
His first Clapham opening, Thyme, was an almost-immediate hit after opening in 2001, but after a move to Covent Garden, unforeseen problems caused the venture to fail.
Byatt opened Trinity in 2006, which he will continue to run alongside his British neighbourhood restaurant Bistro Union (also in Clapham).
Brown’s has operated as a hotel since 1837, and is said to be home to the capital’s first public dining room.
Prior to Beck’s apportionment, operations were overseen by Mark Hix who ran his Hix Mayfair restaurant there for 10 years.