Tom De Keyser excited for 'more responsibility' at The Chalk

Tom De Keyser says he was ready to take on a role “with more responsibility and more freedom”, after a “magic” four years running the kitchen at The Hand and Flowers.

Tom has worked as part of the Tom Kerridge Group for over 12 years, across various restaurants, and kept The Hand at two-Michelin-star level during his entire reign at the pub in Marlow.

But there have now been changes within the group, with Sarah Hayward coming across from The Coach to run The Hand, Brad Cacela going from sous chef at The Hand to head chef at The Coach, while Tom is fronting the relaunch in Chelsea, named The Chalk Freehouse, which is due to open next week.

 

 

 

 

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Life at The Hand and Flowers

Reflecting on his time at The Hand and Flowers, Tom told The Staff Canteen: “It’s been magic.

“The step up from The Coach to The Hand is massive. Down there it's a very small team, 20 covers. Where you're standing on the pass, you can see and hear everything. At The Hand there are 100 members of staff, three different kitchens, a far larger rota. The last four years, retaining two Michelin stars every year has been mega.

“You’ve got to win it each year. You don’t necessarily retain them, we have to win them every year, just like a football team has to win the Premier League every year.

“That’s been a massive highlight.”

He continued: “I’ve learnt a lot. A lot about management, people management, especially with scale of it. It’s been going 20 years and I think I’m the fourth head chef, if you don’t include Tom (Kerridge) opening. He opened with Chris Mackett as head chef, then obviously Aaron (Mulliss), Jamie (May) and then myself.

“So across two decades, going into Sarah’s reign now as fifth head chef, it’s exciting times.

“I’m definitely ready to move on and be a bit more myself.

“I’m a much better chef and manager, with a greater understanding of business as well. There's so much that goes on rather than just cooking the food.

“We all felt it was right. Over the past two decades, Tom has been very supportive and very clever at nurturing staff and he recognises when people are ready for the next step. Brad was obviously ready for The Coach, his first head chef job. Sarah is ready for a step up and I was ready to take on something new, with more responsibility and more freedom.”

Job opportunities within the Tom Kerridge Group

The movement within the group has opened up job roles at both The Hand and The Coach, to work under Sarah and Brad.

“I’m buzzing for Sarah,” Tom said.

“She's got a good opportunity to build her own team, put her own stamp and her own style on things. Although we've all worked with Tom for a long time, we’re all very individual, and have our own ways.

“She’ll do an amazing job and I’m very excited for her.  

“It is a massive opportunity for Brad. He is an amazing cook. For him to step into his first head chef role, it will be great for him. It will be a real good learning curve.”

 

 

 

 

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The Chalk Freehouse: A Bold New Chapter for Tom De Keyser in Chelsea

The Chalk Freehouse is opening on the site formerly known at The Butcher’s Tap & Grill, which opened in 2023, but closed earlier this year.

But Tom insists what has gone before at the site is not in his thinking as he steps in to his new venture.

“It's a new opportunity and I’m very excited about it,” he said.

“Everyone's put a lot of faith and trust in me. Tom’s given me this massive opportunity.

“So we’re not looking too much at The Butcher’s Tap really, we’re looking at The Chalk now. We're excited about the future and what we can do there.”

He added: “It’s massively daunting, but I'm well excited.

“I can't credit or thank Tom (Kerridge) enough for the opportunity he's given me.

“It's a new venture that I'm leading within the group, with his support and his sponsorship and then the support of Warren (Geraghty, executive chef) and Lourdes (Dooley, general manager).

“Lourdes is going to bring all her wealth of experience from The Hand. She’s been here since the early days of The Hand, opened The Coach and opened Kerridge’s Bar & Grill. She’ll be a frontrunner supporting myself and Ross (Kenworthy), looking after the space in Chelsea.

“I have the support of the most successful, most popular and most supportive chef in the UK. You can't say more than that. And not only Tom, but the team.

“I'm not just stepping out into the street by myself. There’s a massive network of support and quality. They’re all well on it.”

Launching The Chalk

The Chalk will offer a set lunch menu, à la carte, bar snacks and Sunday roast, with dishes on the opening menu including nduja and smoked mozzarella sausage roll; pork chop schnitzel with smoked bacon, pickled cabbage and fried duck egg; and warm pork fat Chelsea bun with vanilla custard.

Outlining his vision for The Chalk, Tom De Keyser explained: “It will be a vibrant, energetic atmosphere. I spent the last 12 or 13 years cooking for Tom. The style is very Coach and Hand and Flowers-esque, but with my understanding of ingredients and cooking from what I've learned over my career.

“Although the menu is very independent, it’s still produce and ingredient led. The prices are very reasonable.

“It will be an open kitchen as well. We’re hoping to be busy and hopefully the energy from the kitchen and the front of house will flow through.

“You can come in for a drink, sit down and have a snack. There's no parameters there. We’re open seven days for lunch and dinner.”

Discussing the menu, Tom added: “After the initial conversation, I did a menu. I put it in front of Tom and Warren and they steered me. I got a lot of support from them with regards to the dishes etcetera, the structure and the layout.

“I pretty much knew where we were going after the initial menu direction conversation.

“I’ve got Tom, Warren, Kate (Gavin, restaurant manager at Hand and Flowers) and Lourdes who are all trying it. They’ve got 100+ years of hospitality experience, so their advice on anything menu related, wording, flavours, produces is invaluable.”

The name ‘The Chalk Freehouse’ is a nod to Chelsea’s roots, where chalk was delivered to during Anglo-Saxon times.

“When the chalk used to come in, they used to look like large pebbles,” Tom explained.

“So what I’ve done is one of the sides is called the Chelsea spud. It looks like a limestone pebble, but it's cut with a hash brown cutter. So it's like a roast potato/hash brown/chip/Hasselback!”

Tom has worked at Michelin-star level for many years, but what hopes does he have for The Chalk?

“We’ll go in wanting to get it right and spot on straight away,” he said.

“We know what we’re doing, or we like to think so! We’re confident in what we’re doing, but we just want to get it right, make sure everyone enjoys themselves there, make sure we’re happy cooking, make sure we’re happy serving drinks, make sure we’re happy serving guests, and then whatever happens, happens.

“As long as we get it right and we’re busy, we’re very happy. The goal is to do well and get better each day, that’s all we can ask.”