How a broken wrist led Charlie Dilworth to head chef at Silva

Despite still being in his 20s, Charlie Dilworth already has bags of high-level experience in the industry and is now ready to really make his mark, as head chef at Silva in Mayfair.

Charlie, formerly of Lita, has been in his new role for around five months, after his career trajectory took an unexpected turn.

“I broke my wrist playing football, which is the worst thing as a chef to break,” Charlie explained.

“It was quite a bad break, so my recovery was going to be three to four months, if not longer. Lita and I decided that it probably wasn’t going to work for me to stay there long-term, so I left and came back to Folkestone, which is where I’m from in Kent, to recover.

“I was working agency for a little bit while I was finding my feet in London and looking for my next role.

“And then Silva came up, and the rest is history.”

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How Charlie got into hospitality?

Silva is not Charlie’s first head chef role – he also held that responsibility at The Radnor Arms in Kent, aged just 23.

A few years prior, he was at university, not pursuing a career in hospitality at all.

“I always had an interest in cooking,” Charlie said.

“I worked at a pub restaurant when I was 14, just peeling potatoes, different bits and pieces like that.

“Then I went to uni, studying physiotherapy, so a bit of a different one. But I still worked in kitchens while I was doing my degree.

“Ultimately, when I finished, I decided physiotherapy wasn’t for me.

“I ended up going to work at a wedding venue that my sister worked at, The Old Kent Barn.

“I was on the bar at the time, but I knew I liked cooking, so I went and spoke to the head chef there.”

A member of the brigade happened to be leaving, so Charlie got his chance in the kitchen.

“Almost 12 years later, here we are.”

He added: “I always watched things like MasterChef and Great British Menu, but there was always this question in my mind - I like cooking as a hobby, but as a full-time job, how would I find that?

“So I never really took the plunge until a bit later. I think I was 17 when I decided to do it properly. But I’ve not looked back since.”

Where did Charlie Dilworth previously work?

Charlie’s first official chef role at The Old Kent Barn saw him learn from head chef James Crank, who formerly worked for Marcus Wareing in London.

“He taught me from day one how to do things right,” Charlie said.

A link-up with Mark Sargeant followed, working at Rocksalt and The Radnor Arms, where he was head chef.

Charlie admitted: “I was 23 when I got that one, which was a bit crazy. I look back now and think, how was I ever ready for that?”

A drive to push for accolades saw Charlie become sous chef at The Goods Shed in Canterbury, which was housed at an abandoned railway factory, alongside a butcher, fishmonger and vegetable market.

“The concept was for the chef to come in in the morning, see what produce had been dropped off, and build a menu from that,” Charlie explained.

“That was a cool concept for me, and it really helped with the creative side of the cooking as well, which I enjoyed.”

A spell at Boys Hall followed, where Charlie was promoted up to head chef, before opting to make his move to London.

“I reached a point where I felt we’d maybe reached a ceiling of what we could achieve,” Charlie said.

“I’m quite an ambitious person, so I knew I wanted to go for more, which is when I got headhunted for the role at Lita in Marylebone.

“They were putting together a team to open the restaurant and the goal was to get a star within the year, so I joined as senior sous chef under Luke Ahearne, and luckily we managed to achieve that.”

How did Charlie Dilworth’s move to Silva come about?

Mediterranean-inspired Silva was opened by first-time restaurateur Daria Grebenyuk in November 2024 and now holds two AA rosettes and features in the Michelin Guide.

Charlie came in initially on a freelance basis to help out, but, following the departure of Slawomir Sawicki, was very quickly offered the head chef job on a permanent basis.

“It’s had its challenges,” Charlie admitted.

“I had to start from scratch. We had no team members here, and we’ve had to change all the menus because it was all the old head chef’s stuff.

“I think they wanted to do a bit of a rebrand and head in a different direction. So in the space of two months, we’ve had to build a team and implement five or six new menus.

“The whole team’s adapted to it great. The team we’ve built is fantastic, and we’ve got a really good culture building here.”

Going from head chef to sous chef

Given he previously held head chef roles at two different restaurants, many would not have then taken a sous chef job, as Charlie did at Lita.

But the 29-year-old views things slightly differently.

He said: “I’m not an egotistical chef. I’m fully aware that cheffing is one of those industries where, up until you’re 80 years old, you’ll be learning new things, which I think is one of the best things about the industry.

“So I knew that, although I’d been a head chef before, I might not always be a head chef - I might step into a different position, or a different restaurant at a higher level, and take a step down. I’m fully prepared to do that.

“My time at Lita was the same. I loved the concept they were doing when they pitched it to me - the style of food they were looking to go for.

“I didn’t have much experience with Mediterranean specifically before that, so it really helped me branch out.

“And working in London is a completely different scene to where I’m from in Kent. Everyone’s working towards the same goal, everyone’s at a very similar skill level, so working with people that competent just brings the best out of you.

“I learned a great deal from Luke, he’s worked at some fantastic places.

“Team management, ingredients, combinations, all those different bits and pieces, I think it just enhanced what I already had, but took it up a level.”

He added: “As you step up the hierarchy, the food’s still the most important thing - how it tastes, how it works, and the customer experience - but a lot of my job now comes down to man-management.

“Keeping the team motivated and driving towards the same goal is a big part of it, because you’re dealing with people from all different walks of life.”

Standout dishes at Silva

While Charlie has come up with new menus for Silva, some dishes had to remain.

“There are three dishes that really stand out, that were non-negotiable - things people came back for, the most signature dishes,” Charlie said.

“One was the raviolo, the crispy egg, and then the Basque cheesecake on the dessert menu. All great dishes.

“We’re very lucky with Daria. She’s the same age as me, so our visions are aligned in terms of what we want, and she’s not super intrusive.

“I think her vision is that she’s hiring people to do a job for her, for their expertise, so it’s best she trusts them to do it.

“I’m excited to see how the menu evolves over the coming months.”

He added: “It’s Daria’s baby, more so than mine. So as much as it’s my menu, my food, it’s got to lean towards what she envisioned.

“Having that shared vision is so important for the relationship between the owner, the GM and the head chef.

“We go out to eat together, so we can make sure our palates are in the same place.

“It’s important to spend that time together, to know what the other person wants, likes and understands.”

Discussing the future ambition of Silva, Charlie said: “Personally, I’d love to get a star, and I think there’s a similar feeling throughout the building.

“But I think when you push too hard to get something, it can sometimes have a detrimental effect.

“So what we’d like to do here is deliver a brilliant product, amazing ingredients, amazing food, at a consistent rate, and whatever comes from it, then that’s great - but without putting too much pressure on the team at the same time.”

He added: “I’d love, in the short term, to get to Michelin level. Then I’d love to go into either a partner-level role, or open up my own place one day.

“I’d also like to spend some time working abroad at some point.

“Opening new restaurants is something I like to do - I think there’s a good buzz about starting a concept from the ground up and seeing the evolution of the product.

“I think the future’s exciting. I don’t have it mapped out yet, but I think I’m in the right place right now to push for that.

“I know Daria has some big plans.”

SILVA: key facts

Chef: Charlie Dilworth
Restaurant: Silva
Location: Mayfair, London
Owner: Daria Grebenyuk, first-time restaurateur - opened Silva in November 2024
Accolades: two AA rosettes and a listing in the Michelin Guide
Signature dishes: raviolo, crispy egg and Basque cheesecake
Ambition: Charlie is aiming to win Silva a Michelin star