Ilic quits New End for Threadneedles

Tom Ilic has left his position as head chef of the New End restaurant in Hampstead, London, to join Peter Tyrie's Eton Town House Group.

Ilic will be running the restaurant at the group's flagship London hotel, Threadneedles, housed in the former headquarters of the Midland Bank.

Although Ilic will be joining the company in June, the 80-seat restaurant and bar, called Bonds, and the hotel are unlikely to open until September.

Ilic received rave reviews for his cooking at the New End, which inspired Tyrie to seek out the chef.

"I was looking for a creative style of food and Tom had already established a reputation for that in the industry."

Ilic said he was looking forward to the new challenge. "The New End gave me a platform to cook what I wanted, and I learnt to run a restaurant overall," added Ilic, who left the New End in February, but was retained as a consultant until the end of March. "But I think I had achieved all I could there and it was time to move on."

Signature dishes, such as smoked haddock tortellini, buttered leeks and pancetta, and braised pig's cheek, garlic and parsley mash will be transferring with Ilic to Bonds.

Samatha Pitt - formerly senior sous chef at Marco Pierre White's Quo Vadis restaurant and, more recently, at Jean-Christophe Novelli's Maison Novelli - took over as head chef at New End last month.