Townsend, the modern British restaurant and cafe at East London's Whitechapel Gallery, has appointed Chris Shaw as the new head chef.
Taking the helm in the kitchen from this month, Shaw, (previously BAO Soho, Petersham Nurseries, Roux at Parliament Square, Emile), replaces outgoing head chef Joe Fox, who leaves to take a senior chef role with the Firmdale Hotel Group.
Shaw makes his mark as head chef at Townsend this month with a special summer set dinner menu, offering four-courses for just £30 available until 31August.
Townsend summer set dinner menu by Chris Shaw :
Radishes with nasturtium pesto
Paddock farm pork terrine with house pickles
Fillets of gurnard with summer tomatoes & olives
Plum, fig leaf, meringue & whipped yogurt
Founded by restaurateur and sommelier Nick Gilkinson (previously Anglo, The Garden Museum Cafe), Townsend opened in February 2020, right ahead of the first lockdown.
The 32-cover restaurant serves an evolving menu of creatively constructed seasonal dishes courtesy of Shaw, whilst the concise wine list focuses on old world vineyards and a mix of natural and traditional methods, and is curated by Gilkinson.
Townsend also offers ‘The Library’, an intimate wood-panelled private dining room, lined with rare art books and posters, hosting up to 14 for a sit-down dinner or up to 20 for a standing room-only gathering.
The dining room and The Library at Townsend are overseen by recently appointed general manager Hannah Robson (previously Emile, Hot Polloi at the Ace Hotel, Smokestak, Petersham Nurseries).
In June 2020, Gilkinson and the team launched Town-Send - a UK-wide gourmet at-home delivery service. Town-Send offers a selection of seasonal restaurant-quality set menus alongside a range of house-made ingredients and condiments, as well as a bottle shop offering wines and pre-batched cocktails.