Growing up in Hertfordshire, England, Chef Lee Westcott was drawn to the kitchen at the age of sixteen and shortly after learning the ropes as a young chef, began working for the Galvin brothers in London.
Lee then moved on and earned the trust of world-renowned London chef and restaurateur Tom Aikens over four years (three of which were spent leading the kitchen as Head Chef at Restaurant Tom Aikens). During Lee’s time at Restaurant Tom Aikens, during a short closure of the restaurant for a refurbishment, he also staged at two of the world’s leading restaurants – Noma (Denmark) and Per Se (New York). Westcott was then asked by Jason Atherton to oversee two of his restaurants in Hong Kong, which gave him his next platform to develop his cooking style.
Returning from Hong Kong, Lee established and directed the Typing Room Restaurant in London’s Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green, London. Over four years, Lee and his team achieved great critical acclaim, including 4 AA Rosettes, 6/10 in the Good Food Guide and 3/3 from Square Meal. They also had rave reviews from the likes of Fay Maschler (Evening Standard), Marina O’Loughlin (The Guardian) and Andy Hayler in national press. During his time at Typing Room, Lee also appeared on Great British Menu, representing the South East region, Saturday Kitchen and as a chef mentor on Masterchef in 2015
Lee’s next phase of his culinary career took him to the countryside to open Pensons. Himself and the team built up strong relationships with local producers and game keepers and took full advantage of having the resources to grow many of their own fruit, herbs and vegetables. Within 7 months they achieved a Michelin star, 3 AA Rosettes, 6/10 in the Good Food Guide and Restaurant of the Year in the Sustainable Lifestyle Awards, amongst other accolades and glowing reviews from such critics as Tony Turnbull (The Times) and Keith Miller (The Telegraph).
After much consideration, Lee has now moved back to the city where his heart is, London to focus on his next project.
Photo Credits:
Michael Leckie & Lost Village / Fanatic