Mark Tolentino is the new head chef at Launceston Place

Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

Deputy Editor

Mark Tolentino has been named head chef at 3 AA Rosette Launceston Place in Kensington, joining chef patron Ben Murphy at the helm of the D&D London restaurant

Mark started at the D&D flagship as a junior sous-chef five years ago, and has worked his way up through the ranks to secure the role.

Ben shared the news on social media, saying he was "delighted" to announce the promotion, promising "big things to come."

🚨Announcement🚨

I am delighted to announce that Mark has been promoted to Head Chef @LauncestonPlace

Joining me as Junior Sous Chef & working with me for 5 years I am thrilled for him to grow into this new role with us,

Big things to come & this is just the beginning 💫 👊🏼 x pic.twitter.com/8BWWVfP7IV
— Ben Murphy (@benchef123) March 16, 2022

First opened in 1986, Launceston Place has seen many a great chef come through its kitchens, from Rowley Leigh and Tristan Welch, who relaunched it in 2008, to Tim Allen and Raphael Francois.

Having worked at The Greenhouse, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Epicure in Paris, Michel Guerard and Koffmann's at the Berkeley, Ben Murphy was only 25 when he took on his first head chef role at The Woodford, which he launched with the backing of Essex-based restaurateur, Steve Andrews, in 2016.

The following year, he was offered a head chef position at Launceston Place, where he was promoted to the role of chef patron last year - on the same year as he competed on BBC Two's Great British Menu.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.