2 Michelin Star Chefs: Adam Tooby-Desmond, Dinner by Heston, London

The Staff Canteen

Adam Tooby-Desmond is the head chef of two Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London

Adam took over from previous head chef Jon Bowring in May 2023.

Dinner By Heston, London

 

Located in Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Opening hours:

Lunch: Monday to Thursday 12pm to 2.00pm (Friday to Sunday 12pm to 2:30pm);

Dinner: Monday to Thursday  6pm to 9:00pm (Friday to Sunday 6pm to 9:30pm)

Telephone: 020 7201 3833

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @dinnerbyheston

Instagram: @dinnerbyhb

Adam Tooby-Desmond's Career Path 

Tooby-Desmond has been working at Dinner  by Heston since 2017, having joined as a demi chef de partie.

Originally from Cambridge, he trained at Westminster Kingsway College in London before joining the University of Cambridge's St John's College in 2011 as an apprentice.

'Meat Fruit'

Dinner by Heston

After developing dishes inspired by Britain’s past, Heston Blumenthal opened Dinner by Heston in 2011 in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

The idea behind the restaurant was to find a common ground between Heston’s two other restaurants, The Hinds Head in Bray and The Fat Duck, drawing on Britain’s history as the backbone for the food and the concept behind the restaurant. 

Dinner received a Michelin star within its first year of opening, followed by a second in 2014. 

Food Style

Inspired by historical recipes from 300, 400 and even 500 years ago, Jon and the team’s goal with Dinner is to emulate these recipes with a modern twist.

The kitchen team are in contact with food historians and researchers to garner an accurate representation for the food, drawing further inspiration  from Heston’s Channel 4 TV show, Feasts, which saw the chef recreate famous period dishes and feasts for 21st century diners.

What the guides say...

Michelin Guide

 

AA Restaurant Guide

Good Food Guide

 

Harden’s

 

The food at Dinner has gradually evolved since it first opened, and now offers more ‘refined’ dishes that are bolder and cleaner.

Advances in technical abilities have also driven the way the dishes are now prepared and presented, reflecting the restaurant’s growth from when it first opened its doors over a decade ago.

Popular dishes on the menu include Meat Fruit (c.1500) which is Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread and Tipsy Cake (c.1810).

Early Grey Smoked Salmon

Despite the name, Dinner is open for both lunch and dinner seven days a week. Working alongside Jon in the kitchen are just over three dozen chefs chefs who work four days a week, and 65 front of house staff including the wine team.

Other ventures

Since the opening of Dinner in London, Heston and former executive chef, Ashley Palmer-Watts, launched a second Dinner, this time in Melbourne, Australia. 

Along with this, Heston has also opened a third Dinner which is in The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences in Dubai.

It opened in 2019, four years after the Melbourne restaurant.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 13th January 2022

2 Michelin Star Chefs: Adam Tooby-Desmond, Dinner by Heston, London