Since opening our first restaurant just off the Portobello in November 2002 our aim has been to make sustainable dining accessible to all, based on the fundamental belief that it’s possible to be both ethical and profitable.
From those early days of great sandwiches, celebrity customers (David Bowie no less), and sadly two robberies, we made a home for ourselves in Hertfordshire. Since 2004, we’ve adopted this county and all it has to offer including some fabulous food and drink producers.
We’re proud to have restaurants in five of the county’s towns – St Albans, Hertford, Hitchin, Harpenden and Berkhamsted. COVID sadly put paid to the brief life of our Oxford restaurant, but our new restaurant in Woburn will see us spread our wings again. And we’re very excited to be returning to London in 2024.
As we continue to grow, our commitment to serving food made with exceptional ingredients, grown or produced with care and respect, becomes even more important and remains absolutely steadfast.
All our restaurants are designed to be the kind of places I would like to eat in. I hope you like them too.
Andrei Lussmann
Andrei Lussmann
Managing Director
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I have worked in the Hospitality sector for 30 years, initially gaining experience with companies such as Forte and Bass during which time I completed my Hospitality & Business degree at Birmingham Polytechnic. I then joined Pizza Express, managing some of their flagship restaurants, directing all of Pizza Express’s operations in the Channel Islands and becoming one of their International Franchise Managers. After leaving Pizza Express, I further developed my portfolio with Fish Diner and latterly, Corney & Barrow in the City where I developed an excellent understanding of, and thirst for, good wine. In 2002, I set up Lussmanns with the simple view that you can enjoy good ethically sourced food, served in an attractive and timely manner at terrific value for money prices.
Favourite dish: wild South Coast sea bream with Chichester wild clams, garlic, thyme and cherry tomatoes
James Storey
Operations Manager
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James brings over 40 years’ experience to this crucial role in the business – making sure everything runs smoothly. That means he oversees everything from the fineries of table service to staff training and the less glamorous, back-of-house functions like waste removal.
In amongst his four-decade career in hospitality which began at the Hard Rock Café, James says his best times were working as manager at Pizza Express in Guildford with Andrei as his assistant. That was in the 1990s and it took until January 2024, for the right opportunity to arise.
The pair share a passion for the pursuit of excellence – if not perfection – and are both laser focused on training and attention to detail.
Favourite dish: Sussex woodland-reared pork belly
Nick McGeown
Group Head Chef
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I have worked in the catering industry as a chef for 30 years, working my way up the ladder from commis chef to executive head chef in the space of 10 years. I then decided to start my own business and set up a quiet but successful gastro pub in a quaint village in Rutland, achieving entry to the Good Food Guide. After taking the business as far as it could go I worked with the Meat and Livestock Commission as a development chef, educating catering students across the country on the importance of the welfare of our meat from gate to plate. In 2008 I was lucky enough to join Lussmanns for five years, returning in 2015 to work with people who share my passion and enthusiasm for food.
Favourite dish: crab linguine
Katrina Grant
Guest Relations and HR Manager
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I started with Lussmanns, Ladbroke Grove in 2002 but just for a week to open our first café. I loved it so much that I left my management job at Pizza Express and have worked on and off in many roles for Lussmanns until now (with a break to practice as a midwife for a few years!). The sustainability aspect is what hooked me, it extends way past the food and drink, through to practices with our staff, suppliers, business partners and charities.
Favourite dish: MSC smoked haddock with spinach, free range egg and beurre blanc
Board of Directors
Luke Johnson and Andrei Lussmann
In April 2016, Luke Johnson invested in Lussmanns becoming a major shareholder and joining the Board of Directors. The well-known entrepreneur and Chairman of private equity house Risk Capital Partners brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his impressive portfolio of hospitality businesses, which includes Gaucho, Patisserie Holdings, Bread Ltd (Gail’s Artisan Bakery), Feng Sushi, 3Sixty Restaurants, Genuine Dining, Draft House, Grand Union and Small Batch Coffee.
Artwork
We are fortunate to enjoy the art of Jennifer Lussmann, which hangs in our restaurants. Jennifer is a contemporary British abstract artist currently living and working in the South of France. Find out more at www.jenniferlussmann.com
