Culinary power couple Martin Benn and Vicki Wild have officially moved on from Lucas Restaurants’ Melbourne fine diner Society.
The highly anticipated restaurant opened its doors for less than one week before it was forced to close as a result of Melbourne’s current lockdown.
Benn’s publicist provided a statement to Good Food confirming the shock departure.
“Martin is saddened to be leaving the team of loyal and talented chefs, but is confident that they will continue to ensure the ongoing success of the business,” reads the statement.
“For now Martin is hanging up his chef’s jacket and considering some new options, and is looking forward to a well-earned break.”
The statement also said Benn made the decision to leave before Melbourne’s most recent lockdown commenced, with Wild exiting in early July before the restaurant’s launch.
Society was in the works for four years, with the restaurant caught up in a number of lockdowns before it made its debut in late July.
It marked the first time diners were able to enjoy Benn’s food since the closure of Sepia in Sydney in 2018.
For a limited time, the dining public enjoyed Benn’s dishes once again, with the chef curating a number of menus for each space within the multi-million-dollar restaurant.
Lucas Restaurants’ CEO Chris Lucas said Society captured the energy of the city and that the creation of the restaurant had been a truly collaborative experience.
“It is with great pride that we can finally look at opening our exciting new dining destination and add another dimension to Melbourne’s already incredible restaurant scene, which has been such a big part of my life,” he said.
More details to come.