New head chefs appointed at both Adam's and the Oyster Club

Michelin-starred restaurant Adam's in Birmingham and sister site the Oyster Club have both appointed new head chefs.

James Goodyear left Adam's to take over at Evelyn's Table in London and has been replaced by Rikku Ó'Donnchü (pictured right). Ó'Donnchü is originally from Nottingham and previously worked with owner Adam Stokes (pictured left) at Hambleton Hall.

He also formerly worked in South Africa, including as executive chef at Gåte at Quoin Rock wine farm in Stellenbosch for a year before opening Exhibit A in Cape Town with chef Warwick King, which was forced to close due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Ó'Donnchü became chef-patron of Amorette in Pennsylvania in the US, leaving for Florida when the restaurant was sold, and has now returned to the UK.

Meanwhile, Rosanna Moseley has left the Oyster Club to give birth to a little boy and has been replaced by Stuart Langdell.

After sustaining a major injury on a tour of duty in Iraq for the British Army Reserves as an infantryman in the Staffordshire Regiment, Langdell decided to begin a career as a chef and started working in the kitchen of a local pub.

After a year working as a demi chef de partie at Simpson's in Birmingham, he and his partner were approached by Marco Pierre White to help set up the Pear Tree Inn in Whitley, Wiltshire. Soon after, they took over as head chef and general manager.

Langdell re-joined the Simpson's family in 2015 and spent about a year and a half as sous chef at the Cross, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Kenilworth, under the leadership of Adam Bennett.

After moving on from the Cross, he took up a head chef position at the Duncombe Arms in Derbyshire, which was awarded two AA rosettes. In 2020, he joined Purecraft Bar & Kitchen in the same role.

Stokes said: "We are thrilled for Rikku to join the Adam's team as head chef this year. I am looking forward to working with Rikku to build on the existing foundation and to push the food at Adam's on to the next level. Rikku's wealth of experience shows in his elevated and exciting dishes which is in line for the progression of Adam's.

"Stuart has come on board as head chef at the Oyster Club for our exciting next chapter. He brings with him years of experience in the Birmingham food scene. Having trained at Michelin level his technical expertise teamed with his love of fish will see the Oyster Club offering develop."