Tom Aikens grew up in a family that was passionate about food and fine wine and quickly understood the value and enjoyment of cultivating home-grown produce. As his career developed under the tutorage of top chefs Pierre Koffmann and Joël Robuchon, he developed a passion for French cooking and, aged 26, became the youngest chef to receive two Michelin stars, while head chef at Pied à Terre in London.

In 2010, Aikens joined forces with Levy Restaurants UK, the sports, leisure and hospitality division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, to work with the iconic riverside venue Somerset House. 

The setting at the heart of the city, with views over the Thames, provided an enviable location for the launch of three dining concepts, designed to appeal to the varied footfall and high-profile events hosted there. Tom’s Kitchen, Tom’s Kitchen Terrace and Tom’s Kitchen Deli were all lauded on opening and continue to draw the crowds.

Tom’s Kitchen is a modern, British brasserie restaurant serving comfort food favourites in relaxed surroundings on the ground floor of the grand neo-classical mansion.

Tom’s Kitchen Terrace, open during spring and summer, serves cocktails, champagne, sharing boards and desserts on the 18th-century terrace. Tom’s Kitchen Deli, created for the venue by Aikens and Levy Restaurants, offers a quicker turnaround and a lower price point and has become very popular with local office workers.

A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
When Aikens was approached about relaunching the dining operation at Somerset House by Levy Restaurants, the chef was immediately keen to collaborate on the project.
“Somerset House is such an iconic venue. It’s a real London landmark, a very striking building and it really suited the character of Tom’s Kitchen,” says Aikens.

Levy Restaurants’reasons for approaching Aikens were several. At the time, the company provided the catering for Somerset House through the Admiralty Restaurant, café and deli, but decided it was time for a rethink. Somerset House had become an increasingly well-known venue, hosting a number of high-profile events, including London Fashion Week and a series of major art exhibitions, and the catering no longer provided such a good fit.

“We needed to think about how we could support Somerset House’s vision from a food-and-beverage perspective. It became obvious that we had to look at it in a very radical way, and completely reposition the offer on site,” says Roy Westwood, creative director at Levy Restaurants.

Levy Restaurants began exploring the celebrity chef route, which offered clear benefits in terms of raising the profile of the catering at Somerset House, and carefully considered who might complement the venue.

“Somerset House has a very strong heritage in terms of Britishness, so we needed to find a chef partner who had the same strong British roots,” says Westwood. “Tom was at the top of that list with his Tom’s Kitchen brand – it’s very casual and very innovative. You’ve got the support of a Michelin-starred chef, and yet it’s very casual in its nature and inherently British in its tradition.”

The partnership sees Levy Restaurants manage and run the venue, while Aikens trains the staff and oversees the menu.

“The working relationship we’ve got with Levy Restaurants is very strong,” says Aikens. “There’s a real transparency between us, and we completely understand one another in terms of what we’re focusing on.”

What is also apparent in this new partnership is the marriage of Aikens’ values with those of Levy Restaurants, championing the use of fresh seasonal British produce, creating inspiring dining spaces and nurturing future culinary talent.

“There are a lot of advantages for everyone with partnerships like these,” says Westwood.

“We get to learn from the best in the industry and it raises our profile. From the chef’s point of view, they get the opportunity to work in unique venues, often with a lot of heritage, such as museums and places like Somerset House. Also, it helps chefs explore avenues they might not have otherwise been able to – such as with Tom’s Kitchen Deli.

“We can afford to try things, and if they work, the chefs can take that knowledge away and apply it to their own businesses.”