Tom Childs, head chef, Kerridge’s Bar & Grill: ‘I’ve got big shoes to fill’

While he knows it comes with big responsibility, the opportunity to take up the role of head chef at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill is something Tom Childs has been waiting for.

When Michelin-starred Tom Kerridge’s right-hand man Nick Beardshaw decided to leave and go it alone this summer, opening up his debut solo venture Starling in Esher, the vacancy needed filling.

And Tom Childs, who started out at the venue half a decade ago as junior sous chef, has stepped now into the void left by Nick’s exit.

“I've been at Kerridge’s Bar and Grill for about five-and-a-half years now,” Tom told The Staff Canteen.

“I started as a junior sous, have been promoted a few times and recently taken over from the legendary Nick Beardshaw.

“I worked really closely with Nick for the past five years. I just tried to take as much off him as I possibly could, so if and when the position does potentially come, then I feel like I'm ready for it, you know?

“This is a big restaurant, a big hotel in the centre of London. There's a lot of responsibility with this.”

LIFE IN LONDON

Kerridge’s Bar & Grill is situated in the five-star Corinthia Hotel, in the heart of Westminster.

And Tom, who formerly worked under Paul Ainsworth and Heston Blumenthal, is loving life in the capital.

“It’s amazing. It’s the longest I’ve ever been at one place,” Tom said, discussing his lengthy stay at Kerridge’s.

“The atmosphere is amazing, the team's great. What we're trying to achieve I really, really believe in. Tom's ethos and the DNA that he has in this room is something that really excites me.”

He added: “I started out with Paul at No.6 when I was 19. I was watching him on Great British Menu and sent him a text. He rung me back the next day and I was a starstruck little boy, straight out of college. I drove down in my car, spent four years with him, won the Michelin star there.

“As I was looking to apply for the job working with Tom Kerridge a few years down the line, Tom messaged Paul and said ‘Tom Childs, what do you think?’. He said, ‘yes, snap him up straightaway’. I’ve got a lot to thank him for for that and here I am now.

“Tom Kerridge is one of those guys that never looks like he's under pressure.

“It's one of those things that I really try and strive for myself, that no matter how busy we are in the kitchen or how tough service is going, you always look like you're calm, you’re chilled and everything's under control because that really feeds down into the team then.

“That sense of calm, I think, really benefits the food and the restaurant.”

making his mark

Since taking over as head chef, Tom Childs has launched a new menu at Kerridge’s, with inspirations taken from Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers, as well as some twists of his own.

That includes some interactive elements, with guests at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill able to select the meat they would like for their meal from the meat fridge, before watching it be cooked on a rotisserie.

“It’s an amazing centrepiece in the restaurant,” said Tom.

“They see a chef cooking on here and all the guests are coming up and taking pictures and they want to know what's cooking, where the meats are from. It’s just an amazing talking point.

“So when the guests come into the room, we take them up to the meat fridge, show them through all the cuts of meat and then they get to see their own piece of meat cooked on the rotisserie.

“The style I’ve brought to the restaurant is very much keeping the Tom Kerridge DNA. We’ve taken stuff from the Hand & Flowers, like the parfait and they’re going down really well. But I'm looking to bring my own stuff to the table as well.

“So the Gary Rhodes bread and butter pudding is a real classic and it links in really well because as a 16-year-old boy, I started off at Thanet College where Gary Rhodes was and he gave me my first experience in a Michelin-star restaurant.

“That was one of those dishes that I tasted on the pass and it blew my mind at Tower 42.

“We've bought some theatre into the dining room. We’ve brought the carving trolley, carving the hams tableside. It works really, really well.”

happy team is the key

Having already spoken about his respect for Nick, how does Tom feel about replacing him?

“The biggest challenge for me is I've got big shoes to fill,” he said.

“Nick's been here and he's done an amazing job.

“Now it's time to refresh, to add something different and still be relevant and create a menu that excites the dining room, but also excites the team as well. That’s something that is really important to us.

“Being a head chef, it all stops with me. Before I’ve had people to turn to, but I'm the one that's making the decisions now.

“Thankfully we've got an amazing team, including Karol Ploch, who has just won the Roux Scholarship. It's all about the team. It's all about having those people that can support you and back you up. We're nothing without them.”

And what would Tom judge as success in his spell as head chef?

He said: “Success for this restaurant is being busy, with happy guests. A full dining room and a happy team.

“Anything else that comes after that, amazing. But that's the most important thing for me.

“I'm here and I'm here to stay. I love it here. I want to see this restaurant grow, take it in a slightly different direction and who knows what's to come?”