Kyle Lewis joins Adam Handling Collection as executive chef
Former Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen London head chef Kyle Lewis has joined the Adam Handling Collection as executive chef, as the group strengthens its senior team ahead of what it calls its most ambitious period of growth yet.
Kyle will work alongside chef owner Adam Handling MBE, overseeing food operations and supporting the development of kitchens and teams across the group's restaurants in London, Berkshire and Cornwall.
The appointment comes alongside the promotion of Nicola Gartenberg to managing director, after almost a decade with the business.
From Hell's Kitchen to the Adam Handling Collection
Kyle joins from Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen at The Cumberland Hotel, near Marble Arch, where he was appointed head chef in March ahead of the brand's first UK opening. The 200-plus-cover site brought the theatrical, open-kitchen format, already established in Las Vegas, Miami and Ibiza, to London for the first time.
Before that, he was head chef at The Savoy.
With nearly two decades in kitchens behind him, Kyle's career also includes time with Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, a stint at Thomas Keller's three-Michelin-starred Per Se in New York, and roles in Michelin-starred and multi-AA Rosette hotels across the UK and Europe.
Adam Handling said: "Kyle's appointment is also an important step for the business as we look ahead to an exciting period of growth.
"His experience will be a real asset to the team as we continue to develop our kitchens and food offering across the Collection."
{contribute-overlay}
Nicola Gartenberg promoted to managing director
Nicola has been with the group for more than nine years, rising from operations coordinator to executive director in 2021, when she joined the board.
She has overseen site openings and played a key role in the development of Frog by Adam Handling and Ugly Butterfly, both of which now hold one Michelin star. She was named in the Acorn Awards' 30 Under 30 in 2020 and CODE Hospitality's Women of the Year in 2023.
In her new role, she will continue to oversee the existing portfolio while leading new business growth, with a focus on Adam's expansion plans for 2027 and 2028.
Nicola said: "I'm committed to continuing to build on what we've achieved so far, supporting the team and helping the business grow.
"We have some exciting plans for the future, and I'm looking forward to working closely with Adam and the wider team to take the collection into its next chapter."
Adam added: "She has taken on some of our most challenging openings and been there through the toughest periods, always finding a way to keep things moving forward.
"She has been doing the job for a long time already, so it feels right that the title now reflects that."
Inside the Adam Handling Collection
The group's portfolio includes Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden, which won its Michelin star in 2022, and Ugly Butterfly in Newquay, which followed with a star in 2026.
Alongside them sit The Loch & the Tyne in Old Windsor, The Tartan Fox in Cornwall, and Eve Bar and The Adam Handling Chocolate Shop in Covent Garden. Earlier this year, Adam also launched Ahrelia Caviar, a luxury caviar brand supplying chefs and operators at trade prices.
With expansion pencilled in for the next two years, Kyle's first task will be keeping standards consistent across a growing group, from a Covent Garden fine dining room to a Cornish coastal kitchen.
{{user.name}}