Lee Bye Appointed Director as Agellus goes for growth
Agellus today confirmed that chef patron Lee Bye has joined the board of directors of the family-owned
hospitality business.
Bye’s appointment comes as Agellus prepares to open two new properties – Millers House, Tuddenham, and Quay House, Ely – to further strengthen its existing East Anglian portfolio which includes countryside hotel Tuddenham Mill near Newmarket, and coastal pubs The Lifeboat Inn and The Chequers Inn, Thornham, North Norfolk.
Bye said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of the Agellus business. I feel I have a lot to offer at this level, and I am looking forward to driving the business forward in the years to come, and growing our team of brilliant people.
Bye added: “The industry I love is going through the most challenging times it has ever known, but there is a confidence and ambitious forward momentum within Agellus’’.
Agellus bought Millers House and Quay House in 2021. Quay House, on the banks of the River Great Ouse in Ely, will become a high-quality city restaurant with rooms offering a broad menu, and Millers House will be reconnected with its historic origins – it was originally the miller’s house – to provide seven more bedrooms and further dining options for hotel guests. Acclaimed interior designer Rose Murray from These White Walls is working with Bye to define the look and feel at Millers House and Quay House. The opening date of both projects is yet to be confirmed.
The acquisition of Quay House confirms Agellus’s position as a provider of city, coast and country hospitality for visitors to East Anglia.
Bye worked his way through the Tuddenham Mill kitchen to become head chef in 2014. In 2016 he achieved a prestigious Acorn Award from The Caterer, and in the same year won the Acorn Scholarship. Both accolades recognise high achievers under the age of 30 working in the hospitality industry. In 2018 he was made chef patron, in charge of running the hotel and pubs, a position he will retain alongside his directorship.
“There is no other industry that champions talent and rewards energy and hard work like the hospitality industry does,” said Bye. “The opportunities are there and the career progression is exciting and fast for the right people.”
Agellus director Rachel Harrod described Bye as “an inspirational leader and passionate, with loads of energy for the business”. Chairman Malcolm Walton said: “We have seen an incredible change in the hotel business over the past three years, and Lee has led the team through these changes and business growth. We thank him and the wider team, and look forward to working together to deliver our ambitions and continue to build a better business for the future.”
