Richard Galli joins Poké the Bear as executive chef

Michelin Star chef Richard Galli has announced he will be joining hospitality and TV personnels Calum Best and Fraser Carruthers at the delivery only poké kitchen, Poké the Bear.

Galli will be based at the restaurant chain’s second site, in London, Clapham.

The previous Goring Hotel executive chef will bring with him his “five star cooking experience” as well as South American influence to create a “new and unique” take on what was traditionally Hawaiian dishes.

Galli said: “Over the past 15 years I have dedicated my life to fine dining. I’ve now got the opportunity to bring the knowledge and standards that I’ve learnt into this exciting fast food casual concept. Poké The Bear is the perfect place for me to explore new concepts.

“This is poké like never seen before. I will be bringing a variety of flavours to Poké The Bear from the Amazon to western and north east regions of Brazil. This is a really exciting time in my career and I cannot wait to see how we grow the brand together.”

The delivery-only restaurant has reportedly also secured a site in Manchester which is due to open on 1 December.

The chain, which opened its first site in Chelsea back in August said it plans to open “further kitchens” across major UK cities including Liverpool, Dublin and Bristol.

Carruthers, co-owner, said: “I’ve known Richard for many years and have always admired his cooking. His skills go far beyond the kitchen, from sourcing the finest ingredients to implementing a team of chefs that work together like a well-oiled machine.

“We can’t wait to see the business continue to grow across the UK and show people poké as they’ve never seen before.”