Rising star to revive Diana’s favourite restaurant

One of London’s most promising young chefs has been given the reins at Princess Diana’s favourite restaurant, Launceston Place, where he hopes to revive its fortunes.

One to watch: Launceston Place’s head chef Ben Murphy

Aged just 26, Ben Murphy has been named head chef of the Kensington restaurant, where he aims to win back the Michelin star it lost last year.

Prior to Launceston Place, Murphy worked as head chef at The Woodford in east London, the Evening Standard’s Restaurant of the Year 2016.

One of Ben’s new dishes: Ibérico presa, aubergine, ponzu, crackling

Under Murphy’s stewardship, The Woodford received a rare and coveted five-star review from the late, great AA Gill, restaurant critic of The Sunday Times.

Cutting his teeth at Koffmann’s at The Berkeley under the wing of Pierre Koffmann, Murphy has also chalked up stints at Le Bristol in Paris and The Greenhouse in Mayfair.

“I’m looking forward to taking on the role of head chef at Launceston Place – it’s exciting to be back working in west London after spending some time out east.

“I feel now is the time where I can be more creative and show more of my own style, pushing myself and the team here on to a higher level,” he said.

“The menu will be based around the philosophy I learnt both in London and France; using simple seasonal ingredients and maximising their flavour effectively,” he added.

Among the dishes on his new menu are Ibérico presa with aubergine and ponzu crackling; carrot, lovage, yoghurt and caraway; and lobster with yuzu, fennel and cordiander.