Chef Lewis Vimpany takes role as head chef at Aizle in Edinburgh

Chef Lewis Vimpany takes over as head chef at Aizle, one of Edinburgh's most acclaimed restaurants

The 31-year-old chef has been promoted to the head chef role of the Edinburgh fine-dining restaurant, Aizle. This promotion comes after Lewis joined the team, as senior sous chef, back in 2020.

Stuart Ralston, Chef-owner of Aizle, promoted Lewis due to his strong work ethic, creative menu development and management of kitchen operations. Lewis is considered an integral part of Aizle’s success which recently made its debut onto Estrella Damm’s Top 100 list at this year’s National Restaurant Awards.

Regarding his promotion, Lewis said: “I am absolutely thrilled. Stuart has supported my development from the get-go and it is thanks to him, plus the amazing Aizle team, that I have got to where I am."

"I am looking forward to continuing to push the boundaries at Aizle and developing further within the company."

Lewis who is from Glenrothes, Fife, has worked at some of the UK’s top restaurants, developing his skills and techniques in Michelin-starred kitchens. Such as when, at the age of 20, he joined formerly one Michelin-starred Number One at The Balmoral in Edinburgh before moving on to Andrew Fairlie’s two-Michelin-starred restaurant at Gleneagles.

After that, he worked as a sous chef at The Cellar in Fife not long after Billy Boyter had opened the restaurant. Lewis describes his time working there with Billy as a pivotal moment in his career, where he developed skills in foraging and that the more experienced chef passed on a greater respect for ingredients. 

The Cellar won its Michelin star whilst Lewis worked there in 2016.

After a six-month stint in Melbourne working for the prestigious Vue De Monde, he went on to hone his skills at Ireland’s two Michelin-starred restaurant, Aimsir, just a month after it opened.

Speaking on Lewis and his promotion, Stuart said: “Lewis has a natural talent and drive, which is fantastic. I knew when I hired him, that I would like for him to take over as head chef of Aizle.

"He brings creative ideas to the table and he understands where I want to take the restaurant, Aizle. I know he is going to excel in this role and I am looking forward to supporting his vision for the Aizle menus”.

Stuart, who has worked at top restaurants across the globe including Gordon Ramsay at The London in New York and Sandy Lane Resort Barbados, before he opened his Edinburgh restaurant in 2014. 

It gained huge popularity as the first restaurant in the city to offer a surprise-tasting menu, where diners are only able to see the ingredients list and not the actual menu items being served. The restaurant regularly appears at the top of the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for best fine dining restaurants across the UK and won Best Fine Dining at the Edinburgh Restaurant Awards.