Executive chef Hervé Deville leaves Michelin-starred restaurant Sketch

Executive chef Hervé Deville leaves Pierre Gagnaire’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Sketch.

Hervé Deville has left his role as executive chef at Pierre Gagnaire’s acclaimed two Michelin-starred restaurant Sketch in Mayfair.

Hervé has worked for Pierre for over seven years, before that he worked as head chef at Wenge in Luxembourg and as a sous chef at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Ireland.

He told The Staff Canteen: "It has been a great seven years at Sketch and a lot has been achieved during this time. I came into a fairly small operation and we grew the team three-fold since, taking up to 800 covers daily. We also earned the second star within a year catapulting the establishment to one that everyone became even more curious about, starting from the food, down to the story and the experience. I worked with some talented people over these years and am proud of what has been achieved. Having said that, I feel that I have reached the peak of my role here at Sketch, and so it is only natural to seek a new challenge, explore what else is out there and continue to excel even further."

On what he will be doing next, Hervé says 'there are a number of interesting opportunities to pick from and various consulting projects in the pipeline, so watch this space!'

He explained: "I do enjoy the element of travel that comes with consulting opportunities as well as opportunity to meet new people in the industry and learn something new from the experience. I am also keen to make contribution

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to the young generation of chefs and so have been approached by various renowned schools internationally to host masterclasses and workshops."

Who will replace Hervé at Sketch?

Hervè is set to be replaced by Frédéric Don who has been working at Twist by Pierre Gagnaire in Las Vegas but had previously worked at The Gallery at Sketch in London, where he served as head chef since 2013.

On Pierre Gagnaire, Hervé said: "He is an incredible character! I feel extremely previledged to have worked with him and have the greatest respect for him. I am naturally sad, but we have forged a type of relationship that will undoubtedly continue to strengthen even further irrespective whether I am at Sketch or not.

What is Sketch's culinary style?

Sketch is in a quirky converted 18th-century townhouse situated in the heart of Mayfair. The building is divided into the gallery, the parlour, the lecture room, the glade and the east bar, each of which has its own function and is decorated differently and is the ideal setting for the French cooking style which has been described as ‘imaginative, bold, ground-breaking and delicious’.

When did Sketch first win a Michelin star?

Chef Gagnaire and his business partner, Mourad Mazouz, opened Sketch in 2002 and has retained two Michelin stars for The Lecture Room and The Library. They first won a Michelin star for both in 2005 with The Lecture Room winning a second Michelin star in 2013.

Hervé is excited for the next chapter saying: "I like the unpredictability, so let’s see what life brings and what else is out there."

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