Having held executive head chef, head chef and sous chef roles at a number of restaurants, including Skylon, Le Pont de la Tour and Michelin-starred Tom Aikens Restaurant, Cook will oversee a team of 18 as he helps “maintain Smith & Wollensky’s impeccable level of customer service and develop menus to reflect his impressive training.”

He said: “I am extremely excited to join Smith & Wollensky and be involved in the continued development of the much-loved steak brand. Over the next few months we will be recruiting and training in preparation for the significant growth being experienced at Smith & Wollensky. I look forward to being a part of the team”.

Operations director, Nathan Evans added: “I am thrilled to welcome Tom. His pedigree and wealth of experience will be a great addition to Smith & Wollensky”.