Former Masterchef star Tom Simmons to open Welsh restaurant at One Tower Bridge

Pic:Tom Simmons and girlfriend Lois Thomas
Staff reporter(wp/es):

A leading chef is flying the flag for his native Wales by opening a London restaurant championing the food produced by the country — and his mum.

Tom Simmons, a former star of MasterChef: The Professionals, launches the self-titled venture at the One Tower Bridge development that will also house a new Ivy brasserie and a 900-seat theatre, opening this autumn.

The chef, from Pembrokeshire, is first to open on the Southwark site in April, and aims to elevate the simple cooking of his homeland with offerings including cockle popcorn, laverbread mayonnaise, leek bread and a “refined” version of the lamb stew, cawl.

Simmons, 28, told the Standard: “Wales isn’t known for its culinary delights, but it’s all about making the ingredients speak for themselves.

“I’ve been very lucky in having excellent produce around me my whole life, and it’s something I want to bring to London. The cawl is my mum’s recipe and the best I’ve ever had. She would throw all the veg in at the same time but in a professional kitchen those will be cooked as they should be. 

“So it’s a refined version of my mum’s. Perfected by me — but I won’t ever say that to her.”

Almost all of the produce will come from Wales. He says laverbread (seaweed) isn’t to everyone’s taste but he is using it alongside deep-fried cockles in a complimentary course to “introduce” Londoners to it.

It’s too overpowering to be used on its own,” the chef added. “But in a mayonnaise it’s a seasoning, and something I don’t think a lot of people in London will have had. 

“It’s going to be given as a free course in the evening as a lot of people wouldn’t necessarily order it. It’s our way of trying to entice people to try it.

“The key is not to be in-your-face Welsh because it can become slightly too much. Throwing in subtle references is what we want to do.”

Simmons and his girlfriend Lois Thomas, 24, who is running the front of house, have decamped to the capital for the venture. “Welsh is our first language and we are very proud Welsh people,” Simmons added. “At the same time, we’re in London and need to be careful not to alienate ourselves. The Welsh and English don’t have a great track record — especially when it comes to rugby.” 

He says the “refined casual” restaurant will be “affordable” and he hopes to one day win a Michelin star.  “If you stick by your roots you might get one, but a lot of people end up changing their style to suit the inspectors.”

The One Tower Bridge development also has hundreds of flats, many of which have already sold.