Foresters Hall appoints new head chef at Smoking Lobster restaurant

Foresters Hall in the old town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight has recently appointed Jake Storey as head chef at the restaurant Smoking Lobster. 

Currently Storey is senior sous chef at Lympstone Manor Hotel, Restaurant and Vineyard, working with acclaimed chef Michael Caines MBE.

Effective 18 October 2023, Storey will be working with Smoking Lobster Group partners and brother-sister team Giancarlo Giancovich and Cinz Reckitt, as well as husband-and-wife duo Sara Curran and Peter Sussman of Foresters Hall. 

The focus remains on serving fresh, seasonal produce for a Mediterranean menu, most of which is sourced from the local area. 

Storey, who grew up just across from Cowes in Southampton, started first working in hospitality when he was only 15 years old. He spent two years in the kitchen at The Royal Hotel in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight and then briefly worked with Smoking Lobster Group before leaving the Isle for Lympstone Manor in Exmouth. 

Commenting on his appointment, he said: “I feel very privileged, who wouldn’t want to work at Foresters Hall, it’s a stunning venue with a fantastic reputation associated with high standards of service and quality. I’m excited to challenge my creativity further whilst honouring Smoking Lobster Group’s reputation for serving great food.”

The design hotel, formerly known as North House, was acquired in April 2022 by film industry vets – and husband and wife duo – Peter Sussman and Sara Curran. 

They joined forces with the Smoking Lobster Group and opened the restaurant in the Hotel on 7 April 2023. Less than six months later, they were shortlisted in the 2023 Boutique Hotelier Awards in the category of Best Boutique Hotel Restaurant. 

Smoking Lobster Group is the brainchild of chef and owner Giancovich who opened the Smoking Lobster Ventnor Beach in 2017. It quickly became popular with tourists and locals alike boasting panoramic views of one of the island’s best beaches and dishes celebrating the best island produce available, reimagined through a pan-Asian lens. 

In 2020 he enlisted the help of his sister and sake specialist Cinz. Together with a team that includes many family members and close friends, Smoking Lobster Group then launched Smoking Lobster Cowes in July 2021 before launching at Foresters Hall in April, 2023. 

Reckitt said: “We’re delighted to have Jake join the team. He is a passionate chef with the skills to deliver exceptional flavour in his dishes.”

Foresters Hall founder, Curran, said: “I was lucky enough to enjoy chef Michael Caines’ incredible food when he was head chef at Gidleigh Park in the Henderson era, so I am really looking forward to welcoming one of Michael’s protégés to Foresters Hall. We are excited about combining our reputation for great Mediterranean food and wine with some of the finer touches Jake learned working with chef Michael Caines.”