For over twenty years, David O’Connor has been managing front of house teams at some of London’s most acclaimed fine dining restaurants, including The Square (**), The Ledbury (***) and Chez Bruce (*). In 2011, he set up Medlar alongside business partner Joe Mercer Nairne, a neighbourhood fine dining restaurant in Chelsea which has since become known for its immaculate service, excellent food and extensive wine list. In his spare time, O’Connor interviews fellow hospitality industry leaders on his podcast ‘Drive for Service’. Cornus is David’s second restaurant with Joe.

After spending his early years in Seattle, Joe was educated at Eton and then Oxford University, where he read Archaeology and Anthropology. He went on to attend Leith’s School of Food and Wine in 2001, and later worked in the kitchen at The Savoy Grill and Chez Bruce, as well as Neil Perry’s Rockpool in Sydney. In 2011, he set up the now much-loved Medlar with business partner David O’Connor. When not working in the kitchen, he spends his time with his wife and three young children in a village on the edge of the South Downs, near Winchester.

Wine director Melania Battiston, originally from Lombardy, comes back to Cornus after four years at Medlar and one year of international experience.
Melania’s goal at Cornus is to create one of the most exciting wine lists in the UK, driven by a wide variety and competitive prices. Moreover, she aims to establish a long-term, trusted relationship with our guests. Melania is a member of the IWSC and is a judge for Decanter Wine Awards as an international judge, alongside studying for her master sommelier exam.

Starting his career under the guidance of Gary Rhodes, Foulkes has worked with a long line of acclaimed chefs, including Philip Howard at The Square (**), John Campbell at The Vineyard at Stockcross (**), Richard Neat (**) and William Drabble at the Aubergine in Chelsea (*).
In 2016, he joined Angler as Executive Chef, achieving a Michelin star after 5 months through his unique and vibrant cookery style, drawing strong influence from his three years spent travelling across France, Southeast Asia, Japan, Central America and more recently South America. Foulkes currently lives in Central London with his wife and young son.

Our pastry chef, Kelly Cullen is one of the brightest young talents in the country. Since school, she studied at Westminster and her first fine dining job was with Gary at Angler, before gaining more experience at Claridge’s, Cornerstone and East London bakery before taking over at Allegra as Head Pastry chef. We are delighted that she has brought her talent to the opening team of Cornus. For Kelly, puddings should be “like a warm hug, just delicious! I like to make desserts that give you feelings of nostalgia with the addition of using best seasonal produce”.

Head chef Dew previously worked with Gary at Angler before joining him at Cornus as head chef. With a wealth of experience in top restaurants Dew was sous chef for many years for Anthony Demetre at Wild Honey whilst also having gained experience at The Square, Arbutus and L’Escargot. Described by Gary as “ a great guy and a great cook who I enjoy working with immensely ” Dew works closely with Gary and the team driving the food offering at Cornus. During his spare time he enjoys cricket, cycling and travelling.