It’s been more than two decades since Tom Aiken’s meteoric rise to fame as the youngest chef to be awarded two Michelin stars (aged 26 at Pied à Terre) but this spring, Aikens takes on a new challenge and will relaunch his flagship Tom’s Kitchen restaurant in Chelsea.

“Pretty much the whole interior is changing and we’re introducing a new sharing menu” explains Aikens during a rare moment of calm amid his hectic schedule.

“It’s been 12 years since we opened so it’s nice to be doing a really in-depth makeover. We’re moving the bar from the first floor to ground level, which will make it a great spot for pre-dinner cocktails and we are opening up the pass so diners can see the kitchen. I think the customers are going to love it.”

Tom’s Kitchen Chelsea is one of three sites across London – the other siblings are located in Canary Wharf and St Katharine Docks – and while the Aikens’ empire also extends around the globe with restaurants in Hong Kong, Istanbul and Dubai, London is home.

“My two daughters are four and six and go to school in Battersea and we live in Chelsea. We love it. We’re near the King’s Road and just across the river from Battersea Park, where we spend a lot of our time with our girls. On weekends we often head to the army museum or take the girls to the Chelsea Pensioner’s gardens.”

In a rather satisfying narrative cycle, Battersea – a stone’s throw from his flagship Chelsea outpost – was the stage for his first job. Aikens joined David Cavalier at Cavalier’s in Battersea where he initially worked for free for six months to earn his stripes.

“It was my first taste of the intensity and adrenaline rush of a Michelin-starred kitchen. I had just turned 20 so naturally my eyes were popping out on stalks at such a fast-paced restaurant. I ran the vegetables and garnish section, which was incredibly busy.”
Now owning, living and working in the area, the restaurateur has seen the likes of Fulham and Chelsea really up their game.

“The mix of good restaurants has definitely improved – in the last five years possibly more than ever before. It’s really diverse with high-end dining establishments alongside great cheap and cheerful places, all selling good food.”

Following the renovation, Tom’s Kitchen Chelsea will retain its contemporary, brasserie vibe but will also be serving new twists along the way.

“We wanted to give people something different from just starter, main course and dessert,” Aikens explains. “It’s all about giving diners more choice. We will still have all our classic comfort foods but they’ll be available as part of the new sharing menu. So we’ll have our seven-hour lamb, we’ll have the shepherd’s pie, we’ll have our mac and cheese but lots more variety as well.”

A long-time advocate of using seasonal produce, the ethos of Tom’s Kitchen is simple: use the very best seasonal and locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.

“We wanted to give people something different from just starter, main course and dessert,” Aikens explains. “It’s all about giving diners more choice. We will still have all our classic comfort foods but they’ll be available as part of the new sharing menu.”

It may come as a surprise then that this celebrity chef is rather supportive of one of the biggest emerging food trends. “The rise of veganism has been quite amazing,” Aikens says. “It’s nice to see that people are taking their health more seriously. We will definitely have vegan and veggie options on the new menu and it’s great that chefs are being much more imaginative in terms of what they are offering – it’s not just an omelette for vegetarians anymore!”

A quick glance at his career – and his fitness track record which includes a gruelling Marathon des Sable finish – and it’s clear to see, Aikens is not one to take things easy or shy away from hard work. “People may find it pretty full on but I go to the gym for an hour every day and I also do 30 to 40 minutes stretching when I wake up. It’s ingrained as part of my day and wherever I am in the world, whatever I’m doing I will always do my gym session and my morning stretching. Come wind, rain, shine or earthquake.”

This year Aikens will open up another restaurant in the Middle East, this time in Abu Dhabi. “The Abu Dhabi restaurant will open around August. I go to Hong Kong and the Middle East every three to four months. In Hong Kong I love the street food, the rough and ready noodle bars, which cost peanuts but serve up really fresh, great food.”

Despite the expansions, London is still his hub. “Unlike some restaurants, my name is literally above the door! So it’s paramount that I am present at my restaurants to ensure the personal touch is felt across everything we do.”