Lovaine and Adam Humphrey have been in a team since 2001 when they met at the Castle at Taunton in the kitchen. The team they were part of then somewhat shaped the way Arras is now. Led then by Yorkshire man Richard Guest, those northern culinary sensibilities of how to run things, cook nice, put menus together and have fun with it are the basis of what Arras is now.
Lovaine and Adam carried this forward into Australia where they originally opened Arras, and it’s been a benchmark ever since. In Australia they spent 24 hours a day, seven days a week with each other, even after they got married! It means that shared vision they have for Arras is well defined, and continues to be so. Working so closely together and so often together regularly calls for lengthy and vigorous debate, and that always means the best for Arras and Little Arras is achieved!
Adam was born in East Yorkshire and began cooking at an early age and having cooked locally in some fine Yorkshire restaurants at 18 years old Adam moved to London to cook under Richard Guest at Maison Novelli. A brief sojourn to Normandy, France followed before some time in Australia dipping his toe into Australian cuisine and the Australian beaches! Adam returned to the UK to cook under Richard Guest again at the Castle in Taunton rising to Sous Chef before he decided to return to Australia in 2003. Adam and Lovaine teamed up again in 2005 and the foundations for Arras were laid.
Adam works daily at Arras developing new dishes with the team to push Arras forward, whilst still working closely with Lovaine to further develop the ‘Arras Style’. He also spends a lot of time at Little Arras talking dough hydration, autolyse and trying to ‘out-French’ the baguettes!
Outside of Arras, Adam can be found at the gym trying to get to his ‘target weight’ of anywhere below where he is now, or when it’s football season barracking for his beloved (if not brilliant) Hull City!
Lovaine is Dorset born and bred, but has adopted York as her own! She started her hospitality career on the public side of the kitchen door holding front of house roles at the much-lauded Bras restaurant in France and on the wine team at the Fat Duck in Bray. The lure of the kitchen became too much and she swapped the wine knife for the chefs knife cooking in the same team as Adam under Richard Guest at the Castle Hotel.
In 2005 Lovaine moved to Australia to help Adam open Arras and quickly began developing the cuisine Arras is now acclaimed for. Lovaine continues to work in Arras everyday, albeit outside the kitchen putting her palate to good use in developing the wine list and ensuring the whole operation runs smoothly! You will also often find Lovaine at Little Arras pulling shots of espresso or making her famous brownie (it’s a bit good).
When not at Arras, Lovaine raises her young family and her older husband whilst all the while trying to fit in that elusive ‘next gym session’!
