After opening Tonic and Remedy six months ago, Paul Welburn has decided he's ready for a new challenge and will be leaving London to head up The Leconfield in Petworth, West Sussex.
Paul will take up his new position of head chef at the 90 cover restaurant, which is set in the surroundings of a beautifully restored 17th century building, on October 20. He said: "Going to The Leconfield and leaving London is a big step for me after 16 years but it was an offer I couldn't turn down. I'm a restaurant driven chef, I've spent most of my career in them and now I've ticked the hotel box but I want to get back to what I enjoy."
He added: "Tonic and Remedy has been a great opening but I've always been itching to get out of London and into an independent restaurant where I can control it and bring something quite special to the area."
Paul started his career at The Star Inn in Harome
before deciding he wanted to be in London and taking up a position with Gary Rhodes. He gained his first star at Rhodes W1, where he had started as a sous chef and eight months later the restaurant was awarded it's Michelin star, Paul took over and kept the star for seven years. As well as being a Michelin-starred chef he's also tried his hand at TV, taking part in BBC's Great British Menu last year. He feels his latest move will bring him full circle.
"When I first became a chef I worked with Andrew Pern at The Star Inn and he really grounded me about what this industry is about," explained Paul. "Working for him, the restaurant was very local and there was a real sense of community but people also came there for a reason which was the great food. That's where I want to get to with The Leconfield. So it's like going full cicle - working for someone, not a big company."
Just down the road is Tom Seller's pub The Lickfold Inn and Paul is hoping he too can be as successful with this food driven venture.
He said: "It's going to be a long project, I've got so many ideas and I really want to tap into all the awards. It has one rosette and I want to push for three - and who knows maybe push into the Michelin Guide!
"I want to bring the restaurant back to being very British, local and humble. Down the line if we can grow our own produce that would be fantastic and there's room to have a charcuterie. It's going to take a bit of time to change the concept, at the minute the menu is very Mediterranean and it doesn't fit the area, the restauarant or the layout. I want to bring it back to something everyone can buy into - I want the locals but I want it to be a destination restaurant too."
He added: "I'm going to be changing about 90 per cent of everything in there and I'll be bringing a few of my own team in. The restaurant itself is fantastic and beautiful, it just hasn't had the direction it needs on menu concepts, plans, team training - the whole thing."
Under Paul's guidance The Leconfield will see a complete change in style. He said: "There's a deli attached to the restaurant which should be interlinked and isn't, a bakery which I want to work with on unique flavours for bread - all the pieces are there they just haven't been put together.
"It's a really exciting project and I want to bring my style of food which is humble and natural to the area. I'm just itching to get going!"
By Cara Pilkington
@canteencara
