Great British Menu's Samira Effa leaves head chef role at the Box Tree in Ilkley
Samira Effa has left her head chef role at the Box Tree at Ilkley, just five months after being appointed by chef-patron Simon Gueller.
She is understood to have left the team on Wednesday morning, but formally announced her departure on Friday. Speaking to The Caterer, Gueller said Effa's departure was due to "professional differences".
He added he would continue to lead the brigade as they work towards regaining the site's Michelin star. The Box Tree was omitted from the 2019 guide after having held the accolade since 2005. The loss led Gueller to return to the renowned Yorkshire kitchen last October.
Effa joined Gueller's brigade as head chef shortly after from Alimentum, Cambridge, after the formerly one-Michelin-starred site, previously operated by Mark Poynton, was closed by its investors. She is due to appear in an upcoming round of BBC Two's Great British Menu, as part of the north east heats.
