Marianne Lumb, last year’s winner of the “Top Gastronomic Experience” category at the Harden’s London Restaurant awards 2017, is to leave her eponymous Notting Hill restaurant after five years.

Marianne announced the news live on Saturday Kitchen, and will officially depart in August.

The chef, whose intimate, 14-cover restaurant is much praised by Harden’s readers (scoring five for food), is going to spend time travelling and cooking  in Asia and the Caribbean.

Chef Miles Strotton will step up to the head chef position when Marianne leaves. An emphasis on simple, quality fine dining will continue.

Current dishes include Wye Valley asparagus will lovage oil, potatoes in charcoal, windrush curds and pickled onions, and soufflé of Berkswell and cheddar with courgettes.

Marianne told Hardens: “It’s been an incredible 5 years and we have achieved more in that tiny site,  than I could have ever wished for – the biggest award being the Hardens Top Gastronomic experience last year, remarkable for just 14 covers!

“I am proud to leave the business in a healthy place and a strong, passionate and dedicated young team in charge at Marianne.  I’m going to take this opportunity to travel and cook in Asia and the Caribbean which I am extremely excited about, a dream I have held for a long time.  The beauty of being a chef means that the world really is your oyster.”