The Clove Club and LUCA trio part company

As a result, two separate businesses will be created for their restaurants The Clove Club and LUCA, with more projects said to be on the cards.

The trio founded The Clove Club in Shoreditch Town Hall in 2013 and went on to launch LUCA in Clerkenwell in 2016 under The Clove Club Group.

Both restaurants have achieved critical success, with The Clove Club featuring on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list and both restaurants having ranked on the list of the UK's top 100 restaurants. 

Smith and Willis are now co-owners of LUCA, while McHale owns The Clove Club. 

"After 14 years since the first Clove Club supper club, we feel it is time to move on from the group," say Smith and Willis.

"We’d like to take this moment to express our gratitude to Isaac and the entire team at The Clove Club for everything we've accomplished together — from the early supper clubs to the creation of two internationally recognised and award-winning restaurants.

"We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built and thankful to everyone who has supported us along the way.

"We wish Isaac all the best and look forward to focusing on the exciting next chapter of LUCA."

Discussing the decision, McHale says that a new venture was "on the horizon" for him in the new year.

“I will always be immensely proud of what Johnny, Daniel and I have built together and the heights that we have reached with LUCA and The Clove Club," he says.

"LUCA was always intended as a place to make people happy with a menu that would satisfy my passion for Italian food and I have loved being a part of its journey with Johnny and Daniel. Now, I'm excited to continue to focus on The Clove Club and its legacy on the global fine dining scene.

"2025 holds a lot in store for us at Shoreditch Town Hall, not to mention an exciting new venture on the horizon, too.”