Chef Hira Thakur to oversee Nottingham’s Cleaver & Wake following the departure of Laurence Henry
In his new role, Thakur will oversee the culinary direction of the dining operation at 1 The Island Quarter that encompasses Cleaver & Wake and Upstairs at Cleaver & Wake, hosting weddings and private and corporate events for up to 200 people.
With a CV that includes Nottingham’s The Cumin Restaurant, Chino Latino, World Service, Restaurant Six and The Old Vol, Thakur has been head chef at Cleaver & Wake for past 18 months.
“I’m thrilled that I’ll be taking a greater responsibility at 1 The Island Quarter – helping to drive forward an already successful and unique offering in Nottingham and providing our diners and loyal customer base with the top-quality dining experience they have enjoyed since we opened in September 2022,” he says.
“I’m now taking over the mantle from Laurence, who helped shape the Cleaver & Wake look and feel – creating something truly amazing for Nottingham. I will be using my passion and knowledge to take the brand forward with the support of the talented chef team here at The Island Quarter.”
John Whitehead, food, beverage and events director at 1 The Island Quarter, added: “Hira is a fantastically talented chef and has shown over the last 18 months that he has the skills to take Cleaver & Wake forward, allowing us to continue serving some of the best food in the city.”
Last week, Henry announced that he was leaving the multi-faceted project after around a year.
Writing on Instagram, the former Restaurant Sat Bains sous chef said that he wanted to open something that was ‘truly mine’ and teased another ‘big project’ in 2024.
