Luca Mastrantoni named head chef at Ekstedt at the Yard in London

Luca Mastrantoni has been appointed head chef at Ekstedt at The Yard, the Scandinavian open-fire restaurant in London’s Westminster from Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt.

He replaces Therese Andersson, who previously held the role at the Great Scotland Yard hotel, which is part of the Unbound Collection at Hyatt.

Mastrantoni was formerly chef de partie at the Drunken Butler in London’s Farringdon before joining Ekstedt at the Yard as a junior sous chef in 2022.

His promotion to head chef comes a year after he was made sous chef in 2023.

All dishes at Ekstedt at the Yard are cooked over open fire, which infuses the dishes with rich, caramelised flavours achieved through roasting, grilling and smoking.

Mastrantoni had also spent 10 years working in the industry before moving to London to focus on fine dining.

He said: “I’m delighted to take on this new role and oversee our talented kitchen team at Ekstedt at the Yard. Niklas is a real inspiration and fire has always been an element that’s drawn me to the kitchen, so I’m really excited that I can pursue this passion in the heart of London – bringing the theatre of open flame dining to guests.”

Ekstedt added: “Luca is an incredibly capable and dynamic chef who has been with us at Ekstedt at the Yard since 2022. He really understands that the intersection of tradition and innovation is at the heart of what we do and I’m excited to see him continue to develop the complexity of flavours on our menus.”

Ekstedt at the Yard was launched in 2021, two years after the opening of the Great Scotland Yard hotel.