A fresh playful take on British cuisine with guest chef Tom Booton
Guest chef Tom Booton became the youngest head chef at The Grill in The Dorchester hotel’s rich history. Be inspired by his playful and modern take on classic British cuisine.
The success story of our guest chef shows that age is just a number, as long as you have the creativity, drive and self-belief. Tom Booton was 26 years old when he became the head chef at The Grill at the iconic luxury hotel The Dorchester in London. His appointment marked a new chapter for The Grill, which has been a culinary household name in London since it opened in the 1930s. While still paying homage to classic British dishes, he takes on a playful modern take that shows his creative flair.
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Tom Booton, The Grill at The Dorchester, London
Every young chef’s dream.
Tom Booton fell in love with the industry when he decided to gain work experience and try his hand in the kitchen during secondary school. His career really began at the age of 15, when he won ‘Chef of the Future’ at the Essex Food & Drink Awards.
Tom first job started at Le Talbooth, a local three-AA-rosette restaurant. There he learnt the basics of cooking on each different section at a very high level. As a young talent, he moved to London and went on to work with award-winning chef Alyn Williams at The Westbury. A year after joining The Westbury and keen to continue progressing, he moved to L’Autre Pied run by head chef Andy McFadden. Tom was sous chef at the age of 22 by the time he left the Michelin-starred restaurant. He decided to travel and work abroad in various restaurants in New York, Copenhagen, and Iceland.
Back in the UK, Tom returned and worked for three years as head chef for Alyn Williams again at The Westbury. While retaining the restaurant’s Michelin star, Tom started imparting his own influences onto the menu. In 2019, he earned himself a coveted Acorn Award, which celebrates the industry’s most talented stars aged under 30. It was then that the general manager of The Dorchester discovered him. Impressed by his talent, Tom was given the opportunity to help relaunch The Grill at The Dorchester.
The Grill: a blend of tradition and innovation
It’s probably every chef’s dream to take over the reins of such a prestigious and iconic luxury hotel restaurant. The hotel was looking for a new direction, with more energy and a new life for a restaurant that had been there for over nine decades. ‘The Grill by Tom Booton’ marks the next chapter. His brand-new menu showcases the best of Britain’s cuisine with a modern, playful take on local classics.
Guests share playful snacks and small plates by Booton, and can expect mind blowing flavours. Tom adds: ‘It’s harder doing simple food than doing powders, oils and foams because you’ve got nowhere to hide’. Components such as chicken and leek pie, sauce bouillabaisse or Waterloo cheese en croute really illustrate just how far Tom’ signature style has developed as a chef.
Since Tom’s arrival, The Grill at The Dorchester has been nominated in the top 100 restaurants in Great Britain by the National Restaurant awards. In 2021, Tom won the Chef To Watch award at the National Restaurant Awards. And in that same year The Grill at The Dorchester was awarded three-AA-rosettes.
Be inspired by 30 of guest chef Tom’s playful components
With The Grill, Tom Booton takes on a playful and modern take on classic British cuisine. As our guest chef, he is sharing 30 components for you to play with to bring out amazing flavours in your dishes. Which components will you start working with today?
Below is a selection of his 30 components, or use the search function to view them all in one overview.
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