Acorn winner Tristan Welch joins D&D London

Caterer Acorn winner Tristan Welch has joined restaurant group D&D London as head chef at the soon to be refurbished Launceston Place in Kensington.

The 28-year-old chef has joined the company from Gordon Ramsay Holdings where he was head chef at the two-Michelin-starred Pétrus.

Welch has worked at London restaurants including Aubergine and Le Gavroche, and spent two years at L'Arpège in Paris.

He also worked at the Box Tree in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, and Sheene Mill in Hertfordshire, before heading up the kitchen at Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire for two years.

He joined Pétrus in 2005, progressing from junior sous chef to head chef in less than 18 months.

Next to being an Acorn winner, Welch has earned a number of plaudits and accolades including the Gordon Ramsay Scholar in 2003.

David Loewi, managing director of D&D London, said: "Tristan has tremendous passion and enthusiasm as well as a great reputation from experience gained in some of Europe's top kitchens.  We all look forward to working with him and his appointment reflects our continued commitment to working with the best talent in the industry."

D&D London acquired Launceston Palace along with The Avenue and Kensington Palace earlier this year when it bought restaurant group Image Restaurants for an undisclosed sum.

The buy saw Image Restaurants chief executive officer Chris Bodker join the D&D London board as non-executive director.

• Michelin-starred chef Hywel Jones has been appointed as head chef for Wales’s first food and wine school Llanerch Vineyard in Pendoylan’s new restaurant, which will open in January. He joins from Lucknam Park in Wiltshire.

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Hywel Jones to be head chef at Lucknam Park >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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