Pelles, who grew up in Tel Aviv and has Scottish German and Polish heritage, is now heading up the kitchen at the Coal Drops Yard-based restaurant, which serves a combination of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes.
He replaces previous head chef Nitai Shevach at the restaurant.
“I want to bring the same sense of hospitality and warmth that Nitai brought to the restaurant, but with my own approach,” he says.
“I’m excited to bring my interpretation of Ashkenazi culture to the kitchen, using the very best suppliers and pushing the kitchen to become more sustainable. The spring menu will speak the language of Jerusalem but will showcase modern techniques and ideas, and remain deeply rooted in sustainability and locality.”
Pelles, who says his cooking is heavily influenced by his Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked at three Michelin-starred restaurant Jean Georges on its internship programme. On completing his studies, he joined the restaurant becoming chef de partie and later sous chef during his five-year term there.
He then moved to London and in 2020 returned home to Tel Aviv, staying there for two years because of the Coronavirus pandemic. During his time in Israel, he appeared on Games of Chef, the Israeli version of MasterChef with Assaf Granit as a regular judge, placing second.
He later joined Granit at his Machneyuda restaurant group in Jerusalem before returning to London to join Granit’s The Coal Office in September 2021.
The Coal Office launched in 2018 as partnership between Granit and Tom Dixon Studio.