Tom Kerridge "hugely disappointed" not to be relaunching the Rib Room

Tom Kerridge, chef-owner of the two-Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and the current holder of the Catey Chef of the Year title, will not be opening the Rib Room restaurant at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower as had been previously planned.

Kerridge, whose Marlow restaurant the Coach was awarded a Michelin star last week, was due to manage a renovated Rib Room bar and restaurant and operate it as a stand-alone site in 2017. However, Dubai Holdings, owner of Jumeirah, appears to have changed its intentions for the Rib Room and the renovation, which was to accompany the relaunch under Kerridge this year, has not now taken place.

Kerridge said: "We are all hugely disappointed that this project is not working out as we wanted since we had exciting plans to create a dining experience that would have celebrated the heritage of the building. However, Jumeirah has made a decision to re-open the Rib Room this week without any notification and without the restaurant transferring management. The fact that there has been no sign of the planned refurbishment has left us in a very difficult position."

The press statement goes on to say: "Therefore, we would like to reiterate and make clear that the reopening of the Rib Room this month has absolutely nothing to do with Tom Kerridge, the Hand and Flowers or the Coach, contrary to the considerable publicity earlier in the year which identified that the Rib Room would be the first London opening for Tom within 2017."

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