Sertaç Dirik announces departure from family restaurant Mangal 2

Chef Sertaç Dirik has revealed he has left Mangal 2 in London's Stoke Newington "with a heavy heart".

Dirik posted the news on his personal Instagram, describing his days at his family's Turkish restaurant as "the most formative period of [his] life".

"None of this would have been possible without my brother, Ferhat. Working with him has been an invaluable experience - we have been through every extreme emotion imaginable," he added.

Dirik said he will "operationally have little input" at the restaurant and hoped somebody else would "nurture the beast that is the Mangal" going forwards.

"I am indebted to everyone who has supported my journey so far and I look forward to cooking for you at another time in another place," he said.

Mangal 2 was first opened by Sertaç and Ferhat's father, Ali Dirik, in 1994. The brothers took over the site in the first lockdown of 2020 and oversaw an evolution of the menu, serving dishes such as lamb köfte with schmaltz; and a trio of duxelles-stuffed dumplings in yogurt dressing topped with confit tomatoes.

When The Observer's Jay Rayner reviewed Mangal 2 in 2021 he described the cooking as "serious and innovative" as well as "properly delicious".

Responding to the news on Instagram, Jackson Boxer, chef patron of Brunswick House in London's Vauxhall, commented: "I love you and everything you've done, and so glad I got to appreciate this chapter in your amazing journey."