Baby loses two of its team

Chris Lucas' Italian baby, Baby, is losing two of its team, head chef Domenic Pipicelli and sommelier Chris Crawford. Crawford, the group sommelier for Chris Lucas restaurants Chin Chin and Baby, will join Crown as director of wine. Crawford was at Circa and the Prince Hospitality Group in St Kilda for seven years and left after the Melbourne Pub Group took over in late 2011. Since then, he has worked at Middle Brighton Baths and Melbourne Wine Room and took the Chin Chin role in October. ''I wasn't looking for a new job,'' Crawford says of the Crown post, ''but this is a great opportunity.'' Overseeing a selection of Crown's premium outlets and with more than 2500 wine labels, Crawford will be ''instrumental in managing Crown's vast wine cellars and ensuring our guests have the best wine experience possible'', Crown's Peter Crinis says. Crawford starts his new role on April 2. Domenic Pipicelli leaves Baby five months after opening the Richmond Italian joint. Pipicelli, who left his position as head chef at George Calombaris' MamaBaba in South Yarra to take the gig in the Church Street location that was formerly Pearl, doesn't know what his next move will be. Lucas tells Espresso he wishes both departing staff members well.

Hilary McNevin