Chef Daniel Humm shocked the restaurant world earlier this year when he announced intentions to transform his New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park into a completely plant-based dining experience. Though vegan meals are becoming more widespread, few restaurants can match EMP’s credentials, which include a decade of three Michelin stars and a spot atop the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017.
The change was risky – EMP was still one of the most sought-after reservations in the country, many of the prior signature dishes were meat-based, and guests pay an exorbitant price to eat whatever is offered — but Humm has not only stuck to his new vision, but has seemingly doubled down on it. Humm said late last week that he will be leaving his one-Michelin-star London restaurant Davies and Brook at London’s Claridge’s hotel after the hotel passed on the chef’s desire to make the restaurant plant-based as well.
“Over the last 18 months I’ve taken time to consider what our next chapter looks like. It has never been more clear that the world is changing, and we have to change with it,” The chef mentioned on Instagram.
“Standing behind this mission, and what we believe in, is most important and is unfortunately not something we can compromise on,” Humm stated. “I’ve never been more excited about cooking in my entire career and I’m excited for all that the future holds for us. More to come soon.”
Claridge’s had some nice words too. “We wish to thank Daniel Humm and his extraordinary team at Davies and Brook for what they have created here at Claridge’s since they opened in 2019,” the hotel made an anouncement on Twitter. “We completely respect and understand the culinary direction of a fully plant-based menu that Daniel has decided to embrace and champion and now wants to introduce in London. However, this is not the path we wish to follow here at Claridge’s at the moment, and therefore, regretfully, we have mutually agreed to go our separate ways. Daniel has been a long standing friend of the hotel for many years and we wish him nothing but continued success as he spearheads this bold new vision.”
So, at least in one respect, the hotel got its wish. Consider Claridge’s and Humm’s last Christmas, to borrow the title of a popular holiday song by the British duo Wham!
