Tom Aikens

{{Infobox chef

| name = Tom Aikens

| image = Tom Aikens 2012.JPG

| caption = Aikens in 2012

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1970}}

| birth_place = Norwich, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| style = British cuisine

| education = Hotel School at City College Norwich

| ratings = Michelin stars
{{Michelinstar|1|3}} (2004-2008; 2012-2014; 2021-present)
{{Michelinstar|2|3}} (2008-2011)

| restaurants = Muse by Tom Aikens {{Michelinstar|1}}

| prevrests = {{hlist|Tom Aikens {{Michelinstar|2}}
Tom's Kitchen}}

| television = Trouble at the Top
Saturday Kitchen
Iron Chef UK
Great British Menu

| website = {{url|https://www.tomaikens.co.uk/}}

}}

Tom Aikens (born 1970), also named Tom Aitkens,{{cite news |title=A brief history of... haute cuisine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/mar/09/foodanddrink.features17 |work=The Observer (The Guardian) |date=9 March 2003 |access-date=8 March 2021 }} is an English Michelin-starred chef. Aikens briefly worked for chefs in London and Paris restaurants. Under his tenure from 1996 to 1999 as head chef and then chef patron, Pied à Terre earned its two Michelin stars in January 1997.

Aikens's current restaurants include Michelin-starred London restaurant Muse, opened in January 2020, and three hotel eateries in Abu Dhabi. He appeared on television, including Great British Menu as one of its contestants and then one of its veteran chef judges.

Early life and education

Tom Aikens was born in Norwich in 1970 to his family who have been wine merchants.{{cite news |first=Sarah |last=Boseley |date=23 January 1997 |title=Young chef's labour of love breaks British two-star record Michelin man's taste of success |work=The Guardian |id={{ProQuest|245086606}} |issn=0261-3077 }} Accession no. 04424186.{{cite magazine |first=Samantha |last=Conti |date=1 October 2007 |title=Cooking with Gas |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/chef-tom-aikens/ |magazine=W |access-date=21 February 2021 }} His twin brother Robert was born earlier. Tom weighed just over three pounds at birth and was treated in an incubator for two months.{{cite news |last=Devine |first=Cate |date=11 November 2006 |title=Who the Hell Is Gordon Ramsay? |work=The Herald |location=Glasgow |id={{ProQuest|332997747}} }}

Tom and Robert started attending Hotel School at City College Norwich at age 16. Tom earned a two-year Advanced Catering Diploma in 1989.{{cite book |first=Tom |last=Aikens |year=2006 |chapter=Introduction |title=Cooking |isbn=9781448177196 |publisher=Ebury Publishing |location=London }} Robert eventually became a chef also.

Early cooking career and Pied à Terre

Aikens started working at three-Michelin-starred La Tante Claire under Pierre Koffman. Then he worked at Pied à Terre, a London restaurant located at Charlotte Street, as a sous-chef in 1993.{{cite web |title=Tom Aikens |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chefs/tom_aikens |work=BBC |access-date=21 February 2021 }} Some time later, he worked for Joël Robuchon in Paris.{{cite news |title=Chef's Walkout, with Staff, Sets London Abroil |work=The New York Times |date=30 July 1998 }}

Aikens returned to Pied à Terre in 1996 and was appointed head chef in May of the same year.{{cite news |first=Gary |last=Finn |date=16 December 1999 |title='Branding' of a junior lands chef in the soup |work=The Independent |id={{ProQuest|311629847}} |issn=0951-9467 }} [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/branding-of-a-junior-lands-chef-in-the-soup-1132681.html Republished online] on 23 October 2011. Then, under him as its chef patron and co-owner, Pied à Terre earned two Michelin stars in January 1997, branding Aikens the youngest to earn them since Harveys under Marco Pierre White (age 27) in 1990.

On 10 December 1999, a 19-year-old chef Marcus Donaldson was burned with a hot knife, and Aikens was accused of causing the incident. Within a week, Pied à Terre's board of directors advised Aikens to take a break from work during the Christmas period. However, Aikens decided to leave Pied a Terre and establish his own restaurant, which was decided some time prior and unrelated to the incident. Its sous-chef Shane Osborne replaced Aikens.{{cite news |first=Audrey |last=Gillan |date=15 December 1999 |title=Branding row chef quits top restaurant |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/16/audreygillan |work=The Guardian |access-date=21 February 2021 }}{{cite news |first1=Adrian |last1=Lee |first2=Paul |last2=Wilkinson |date=16 December 1999 |title=Top chef quits after 'branding' kitchen worker |work=The Times |edition=5L |id={{ProQuest|318207883}} |issn=0140-0460 }} Aikens's then-wife Laura Vanninen resigned as its assistant manager.

After his departure from Pied à Terre, Aikens worked for Pierre Koffman again at La Tante Claire of The Berkeley hotel for nine months and then as a private chef for rich clients like Anthony Bamford in Gloucestershire and Andrew Lloyd Webber.{{cite news |last=Moir |first=Jan |date=3 May 2003 |title=This week: Tom Aikens |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=18 |id={{ProQuest|316851328}} |issn=0307-1235 }}

First eponymous restaurant

In April 2003, Aikens opened his eponymous restaurant Tom Aikens (also called Tom Aikens Restaurant and Restaurant Tom Aikens) at 43 Elystan Street, Chelsea, a former site of a pub, the Marlborough Arms, with his then-wife and co-owner Laura Vanninen. In January 2004, Aikens's eponymous restaurant received four rosettes from AA plc and then its first Michelin star.{{cite news |date=9 January 2004 |first=Joanna |last=Wood |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/aa-awards-rosettes-ahead-of-next-guide |title=AA awards rosettes ahead of next guide |work=The Caterer |access-date=22 February 2021 }}{{cite magazine |last=Afiya |first=Amanda |date=22–28 January 2004 |title=Blumenthal's Fat Duck awarded its third star |magazine=Caterer & Hotelkeeper |volume=193 |issue=4307 |page=10 |issn=0008-7777 |id={{ProQuest|222830731}} }}

The restaurant earned its second Michelin star in January 2008.{{cite magazine |date=31 January 2008 |first=Kerstin |last=Kühn |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/2008-the-year-the-michelin-stars-stood-still |title=2008 – the year the Michelin stars stood still |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=23 February 2021 |id={{ProQuest|222766921}} }} Then it was closed from July 2011 to 11 January 2012 for refurbishment, causing it to lose its Michelin stars. It was reopened the following day.{{cite magazine |first=Kerstin |last=Kühn |date=12 January 2012 |title=Tom Aikens reopens flagship restaurant today |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens-reopens-flagship-restaurant-today |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=6 March 2021 }} In late 2012, the restaurant regained its first Michelin star.{{cite magazine |date=3 October 2012 |first=Kerstin |last=Kühn |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/hotel/leaked-results-reveal-record-number-of-michelin-stars |title=Leaked results reveal record number of Michelin stars |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=6 March 2021 }} It permanently closed in late January 2014.{{cite magazine |first=Neil |last=Gerrard |date=2 January 2014 |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens-restaurant-to-close |title=Tom Aikens Restaurant to close |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=9 March 2021 }} Due to closure, it lost its Michelin star in September 2014.{{cite news |first=Janie |last=Manzoori-Stamford |date=25 September 2014 |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/nobu-and-nobu-berkeley-street-both-lose-long-held-michelin-stars |title=Nobu and Nobu Berkeley Street both lose long-held Michelin stars |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=15 March 2021 }} Print edition: {{ProQuest|1616165634}}, {{ISSN|2055-7817|2055-7825}}

Tom's Kitchen

On 2 November 2006, Aikens opened a newer restaurant Tom's Kitchen, which occupied a former site of a defunct pub The Blenheim, located at Cale Street near Aikens's other eponymous restaurant.{{cite news |first=Jessica |last=Gunn |date=10 February 2006 |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens-diversifies-with-new-opening |title=Tom Aikens diversifies with new opening |work=The Caterer |access-date=22 February 2021 }}{{cite news |title=PURSUITS: Fall Restaurant Preview: Chefs Check In |first=Jacob Hale |last=Russell |work=The Wall Street Journal |edition=Eastern |date=2 September 2006 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|398992449}} |issn=0099-9660 }}{{cite news |title=Just Opened |work=Caterer & Hotelkeeper |volume=196 |issue=4451 |date=16–22 November 2006 |page=16 |issn=0008-7777 |id={{ProQuest|222772553}} }}{{cite magazine |last=Wood |first=Joanna |title=Menuwatch: Tom's Kitchen |magazine=Caterer & Hotelkeeper |volume=197 |issue=4461 |date=1–7 February 2007 |page=32 |id={{ProQuest|222772553}} |issn=0008-7777 }} In contrast to Aikens's first eponymous restaurant, Tom's Kitchen was not a fine dining restaurant but rather a gastropub.{{cite magazine |first=Emily |last=Manson |date=10 August 2006 |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/aiden-byrne-to-head-the-grill-at-the-dorchester |title=Aiden Byrne to head the Grill at the Dorchester |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=22 February 2021 }} Ollie Couillaud, the previous head chef of Chiswick restaurant La Trompette, co-owned by Nigel Platts-Martin and Bruce Poole, held the role of head chef from the opening to May 2007.{{cite magazine |title=Ollie Couillard set to open own restaurant |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/ollie-couillard-set-to-open-own-restaurant |date=16 May 2007 |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=28 February 2021 }}

Aikens and his eponymous restaurant group, Tom Aikens Group, opened another iteration at Westferry Circus of Canary Wharf on 29 June 2013{{cite news |title=New London restaurant and bar openings, June 2013 |date=11 June 2013 |work=Telegraph.co.uk |id={{ProQuest|1366434779}} }} and then the Mailbox Birmingham iteration in December 2016.{{cite magazine |date=14 July 2016 |first=Katie |last=Pathiaki |title=Tom Aikens announces two new restaurants |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens-announces-two-new-restaurants |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=18 March 2021 }}

Aikens closed the Birmingham and Canary Wharf iterations on 30 May 2019.{{cite magazine |date=3 June 2019 |first=Vincent |last=Wood |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens-closes-kitchen-offshoots-in-birmingham-and-canary-wharf |title=Tom Aikens closes kitchen offshoots in Birmingham and Canary Wharf |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=19 March 2021 }} He closed the Chelsea location on 2 January 2020, citing "extremely challenging market conditions [and] staff and skills shortages".{{cite magazine |date=22 January 2020 |first=Katherine |last=Price |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/tom-aikens-closes-toms-kitchen |title=Tom Aikens closes Tom's Kitchen |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=19 March 2021 }} To this date, there have been no iterations remaining.

Other restaurant groups

In October 2008, Aikens's companies T&L Ltd and Tom Aikens Ltd, both of which suffered from £3 million debt, fell into property administration.{{cite news |last=Walsh |first=Dominic |date=25 March 2011 |title=Turks open door for chef's expansion: Tom Aikens gets new backer for his brasseries |work=The Times |page=50 |issn=0140-0460 |id={{ProQuest|858426052}} }}{{cite news |first=Neil |last=Tweedie |date=25 October 2008 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/3346251/Tom-Aikens-leaves-a-sour-taste-in-the-mouth.html |title=Tom Aikens leaves a sour taste in the mouth |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=31 |access-date=23 February 2021 |id={{ProQuest|321677260}} |issn=0307-1235 }} He sold his two remaining eponymous restaurants to TA Holdco Ltd, owned by Peter Dubens and David Till, leaving his suppliers (many of them small businesses) with unpaid bills.

In March 2011, the Istanbul Doors Restaurant Group bought out Peter Dubens and acquired 80-percent shares of Aikens's restaurants, leaving Aikens with the remaining 20 percent.

Other eateries

Aikens operated a fish-and-chip restaurant, Tom's Place, which only lasted from 6 February to August 2008 due to debt and negative feedback primarily towards the high price.{{cite magazine |date=5 February 2008 |first=Kerstin |last=Kühn |title=New Tom Aikens restaurant opens on Wednesday |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/new-tom-aikens-restaurant-opens-on-wednesday |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=23 February 2021 }} Its head chef was Yves Girard.

Aikens opened a 25-seater fine dining restaurant Muse, located at Belgravia, on 11 January 2020,{{cite news |first=Hilary |last=Armstrong |date=29 December 2019 |title=Where to eat in 2020: the new openings and old revivals not to miss |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/drinking-and-dining/eat-2020-new-openings-old-revivals-not-miss/ |url-access=subscription |work=The Daily Telegraph |id={{ProQuest|2331173327}} |access-date=18 March 2021 }} six years after backing away from the fine dining scene. One year later, in January 2021, Muse earned its first Michelin star.{{cite news |url=https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/article/features/england-scotland-and-ireland-s-new-one-michelin-star-restaurants |title=England, Scotland and Ireland's New One Michelin Star Restaurants |date=25 January 2021 |work=Michelin Guide |access-date=19 March 2021 }}

As of January 2020, Aikens runs three eateries at The Abu Dhabi Edition hotel.

Television

Aikens appeared on the long-running cooking show "Great Chefs of the World" in the fourth episode of the fifth season, filmed at his Pied à Terre restaurant. He presented a starter course of roasted scallops with celeriac puree and glazed pork belly. It aired on September 28, 1998.

Aikens and his first eponymous restaurant appeared in the 25 March 2004 episode of a BBC series Trouble at the Top.{{cite news |title=Business on the box |work=Sunday Times |date=21 March 2004 |page=15 |id={{ProQuest|316806847}} |issn=0956-1382 }} He also appeared in Saturday Kitchen (first on 18 November 2006){{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b007cj4x |title=Saturday Kitchen: 18/11/2006 |date=18 November 2006 |work=BBC |access-date=26 February 2021 }} and then Iron Chef UK in late April 2010, competing against Judy Joo, Sanjay Dwivedi, and Martin Blunos.{{cite news |last=Chater |first=David |author2=Alex Hardy |author3=Mike Mulvihill |date=24 April 2010 |title=David Chater's choices |work=The Times |id={{ProQuest|320486823}} |issn=0140-0460 |page=36 }}{{cite news |first=Stuart |last=Jeffries |date=9 September 2010 |title=Tom Aikens – a chef back from the brink |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/09/chef-tom-aikens-returns |work=The Guardian |access-date=25 February 2021 }}

In the sixth series (2011) of Great British Menu, Aikens lost to Tom Kerridge in the judging round of the London and South East heat.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b011kxkq |title=Great British Menu – Series 6, Episode 36 of 45, London and South East Starter |work=BBC |access-date=25 February 2021 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5VlgzVh14rRgPFtM9vVmXdY/tom-aikens |title=Great British Menu – Tom Aikens |work=BBC |access-date=25 February 2021 }} In its eighth series (2013), alongside four other winning chefs (Aiden Byrne, Michael Smith, Daniel Clifford, and Richard Davies), Aikens served his winning dish (Chicken egg, egg chicken) as the starter course of the 2013 Comic Relief banquet at the Royal Albert Hall.{{cite web |first=Monica |last=Shaw |date=29 March 2013 |url=https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/features/great-british-menu-2013-final |title=Great British Menu 2013, The Final Banquet |work=Great British Chefs |access-date=25 February 2021 }} He later has reappeared in the series as a veteran chef judge for regional heats. He also competed in the seven-episode 2020 Christmas special of the series.{{cite news |date=11 November 2020 |first=Katherine |last=Price |title=Great British Menu reveals all-star line-up of former chef winners for Christmas special |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/great-british-christmas-menu-2020 |work=The Caterer |access-date=25 February 2021 }}

Accolades

Aikens won the Newcomer of the Year at the 2004 Catey Awards for his newly established eponymous restaurant.{{cite magazine |date=6 July 2004 |first=David |last=Shrimpton |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/foodservice/2004-catey-award-winners-unveiled |title=2004 Catey award winners unveiled |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=22 March 2021 }}{{cite magazine |title=Newcomer of the Year: Tom Aikens |magazine=Caterer & Hotelkeeper |volume=193 |issue=4331 |date=8-14 July 2004 |page=R13 |id={{ProQuest|222763014}} |issn=0008-7777 }} He also won the New 5 Rosette Award at the 2007–2008 AA Hospitality Awards in September 2007.{{cite magazine |first=Amanda |last=Afiya |date=18 September 2007 |title=Roux brothers win AA's Lifetime Achievement award |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/roux-brothers-win-aas-lifetime-achievement-award |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=26 February 2021 }}

Among top 100 most influential figures of the UK hospitality industry, The Caterer ranked Aikens 71st in 2005,{{cite magazine |date=12 May 2005 |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/tom-aikens |title=Tom Aikens |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=22 March 2021 }} 97th in 2006,{{cite magazine |title=CatererSearch 100 – the full list |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/foodservice/caterersearch-100-the-full-list |date=20 September 2006 |magazine=The Caterer |access-date=6 March 2021 }} 94th in 2010, and 89th in 2011.{{cite magazine |title=Caterer and Hotelkeeper 100: Tom Aikens |url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/caterer-and-hotelkeeper-100-tom-aikens |date=1 July 2011 |access-date=22 March 2021 }}

Aikens has been awarded up to two Michelin stars for his restaurants. He currently holds one for his restaurant Muse, located in Belgravia.

In 2024 Aikens received the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year title.{{Cite web |last=Barrie |first=Josh |date=2024-09-24 |title=London hospitality wins big at annual AA Hospitality Awards |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/restaurants/aa-hospitality-awards-winners-b1183686.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}

Personal life

Aikens's marriage to his then-business partner Laura Vanninen lasted from 1997 to 2004, one year after they established his first eponymous restaurant. His second marriage to Amber Nuttall, daughter of the late engineer Nicholas Nuttall, lasted from June 2007 to November 2010.{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Tim |date=30 March 2011 |title=Aikens breaks silence on split |work=The Daily Telegraph |page=6 |id={{ProQuest|859030468}} |issn=0307-1235 }}

Aikens married his partner of nine years Justine Dobbs-Higginson, a former Goldman Sachs banker, in Corsica in summer 2018. They have two daughters.{{cite news |first=Harry |last=Wallop |date=16 January 2020 |title=Tom Aikens: 'I was definitely, y'know, a psycho. I looked like I was gonna kill someone' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/i-was-definitely-yknow-a-psycho-i-looked-like-i-was-gonna-kill-someone-dsw95lnqt |work=The Times |access-date=23 February 2021 |id={{ProQuest|2338901803}} }}

Bibliography

Cooking, 2006 (eBook: {{ISBN|9781448177196}})
Fish, 2008 ({{ISBN|9780091924928}}; eBook: {{ISBN|9781448146925}})
Easy, 2011 ({{ISBN|978-0091924935}})
5 Minute Feast, an Only a Pavement Away charity cookbook, 28 July 2021{{cite web |title=Tom Aikens: 5 Minute Feast Charity Cook Book |url=https://onlyapavementaway.co.uk/get-involved/fundraise/tom-aikens-5-minute-feast-cook-book |work=Only a Pavement Away |year=2021 |access-date=5 August 2021 }}

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.tomaikens.co.uk/}}
{{imdb name|2850584}}
[https://greatchefs.com/chef/tom-aikens-chef-techniques/ Tom Aikens and Tom's Kitchen – London England] at GreatChefs.com
{{webarchive |title=Tom's Kitchen |url1=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511155315/http://www.tomskitchen.co.uk/ |date1=11 May 2008 |url2=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131063945/http://www.tomskitchen.co.uk/ |date2=31 January 2010 |url3=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623065431/http://www.tomskitchen.co.uk:80/ |date3=23 June 2010 |url4=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207020059/http://www.tomskitchen.co.uk:80/ |date4=7 December 2011 |url5=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523112619/http://tomskitchen.co.uk/ |date5=23 May 2013 }}

Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:Television personalities from London

Category:English television chefs

Category:English restaurateurs

Category:Head chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants

Category:English cookbook writers

Category:People educated at City College Norwich

Category:Writers from Norwich