John Ogier steps away from Lyle's and Flor

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John Ogier (l) and James Lowe

John Ogier has stepped down from London restaurants Lyle's and Flor that he opened with chef James Lowe.

Describing the move as an "incredibly tough decision" in a post on Instagram, Ogier said that he was "excited and full of optimism with a pinch of trepidation and uncertainty about what the future holds".

Ogier and Lowe launched Lyle's in 2014 in Shoreditch’s Tea Building with the restaurant going on to receive critical acclaim. The pair followed it up with the opening of Flor in Borough Market in July 2019, turning it into takeaway pizza place ASAP Pizza during the lockdown. Both restaurants are backed by JKS, which also own London venues including Gymkhana, Sabor and Trishna.

The pair met while working at St John Bread and Wine in Shoreditch. Speaking to Restaurant magazine in 2019 they said that the pair were very clear from the outset on their vision for their debut restaurant which was to create a singular space that celebrates the best British ingredients as well as international cooking talent.

Writing on the social media account Ogier said: "I owe so much to James for everything he has given me over this journey and to stand next to him and achieve so many special moments has been a dream come true and I owe him a debt I can never repay."

He added: "JKS have also had a massive part to play for believing in what we do and more importantly understanding the way in which we do it."

Ogier said he intended to continue working with the very best people in hospitality who will help him grow as a person and an operator ad that he was exploring new ventures and business opportunities.