Adam Handling appoints head chef of Ugly Butterfly

Michelin-starred chef, Adam Handling, has announced the appointment of Connor Blades as the new head chef at the Ugly Butterfly in St Ives, Cornwall. 

The venue is Handling’s sustainable, zero-waste restaurant that launched at the “luxurious” Carbis Bay Estate last August that offers British food inspired by Cornwall.

Blades reportedly joined the Ugly Butterfly team from the opening of the restaurant as sous chef and is now taking the reins from previous head chef, Jamie Park, who is taking on a new role within the wider Adam Handling Restaurant Group, which is to be announced at a later date.

It is reported that Blades has spent the majority of his career within the Adam Handling Restaurant Group, joining back in 2014 as a college student when he first moved to London. He worked at the restaurant part-time whilst he was studying, and is said to have loved it so much that he decided to leave college to join the Adam Handling Restaurant Group apprenticeship programme to become a qualified chef. 

He was also part of the team that launched Handling’s first independent restaurant, The Frog E1, and worked there for over a year before leaving to gain experience. He reportedly spent some years working with Simon Rogan at Roganic and Aulis in London and Hong Kong, and in December 2020, Handling and Park invited Blades to rejoin the group and assist in launching the Ugly Butterfly in summer 2022. 

In addition, Blades was reportedly named ‘UK Young Chef of the Year’ this year in the Young Chef Young Waiter competition. 

Blades said: “I’m over the moon to be taking over as head chef at Ugly Butterfly. I really identify with the ethos of the restaurant, being as sustainable as possible and sourcing incredible produce from super local suppliers.

“I’m really proud to have been part of the team that opened the restaurant and to now lead it alongside Adam and Jamie. This is my first head chef role and I’m grateful to Adam for putting his faith in me, it’s an exciting opportunity.” 

He added: “The AHRG is a brilliant company to work for, we really are a family, and Adam has been a great mentor. He’s taught me most things I know, and he’s always been there for me to talk to when times are good or bad.”

Handling said: “Connor has been with me for years. He first walked into my restaurant when he was 15 years old, initially for a stage before he decided he wanted to stay for a while. He was a little legend from the beginning. 

“He spent a few years developing his skills abroad before coming back to us, and to see his journey over the eight years I’ve known him, from apprentice to head chef, is really an incredible achievement.” 

He added: “He’s the youngest ever head chef I’ve appointed, he’s even beaten my record! I’m super proud of Connor and if I could pinpoint one person to be the future of our group, it would be him.”