Chef Taz Sarhane takes the reins at Cycene ‘as it evolves into its next chapter’
With a CV that includes Claude Bosi at Bibendum, The Sea The Sea and Levan, Sarhane joined the tasting menu-only Chance Street restaurant in January this year.
Under his direction the restaurant - which is part of James and Christie Brown's Blue Mountain School and is currently ranked 48 on Restaurant's list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK - will ‘evolve into its next chapter’ offering a menu that has ‘a greater connection to what is available from rich British soils and the farmers who cultivate them’.
Working with ingredients that are ‘seasonally available’ the menu will ‘capture moments of time through preservation techniques, adding a broader dimension of flavour to run throughout the year’.
The price and length of the tasting menu remains unchanged, with the restaurant continuing to offer 10 courses for £155.
As of next month, the Browns will be making gradual changes to the aesthetic touch-points of the space; welcoming a new collaboration with Sunspell for the uniforms, introducing new artwork, table scaping and crockery as well as evolving the drinks programme to align with the new menus.
“For me and the team, the kitchen is the heart of the restaurant, and we want our guests to feel as though they’re dining in our very own home,” Sarhane says.
“I’ll highlight the farmers whose fields and forests have influenced my early foraging experiences and use preservation techniques to celebrate the island’s intricate micro-seasons. We will cultivate deeper connections with dedicated farmers and growers while establishing new partnerships with select suppliers, all to offer a dining experience that is both profoundly engaging, memorable, and meaningful.”
The Browns added: “We are thrilled to work with Chef Taz Sarhane as he leads the evolution of Cycene. Since joining us in January, Taz has impressed us with his dedication to seasonal British ingredients and innovative preservation techniques. This new and progressive direction for Cycene—one we’ve long aspired to, focusing on and highlighting the freshest produce available throughout the wonderful, ever-changing seasons of this country—will be fully realised under his guidance.
Cycene launched in 2022 on the former site of Brown’s Mãos and was awarded a Michelin star five months later.
Last week, it was revealed that Clench had left the restaurant having headed the kitchen from launch.
