Simon Ulph joins The Twenty Six as head chef

29-May-2017 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 13:20 GMT

Simon Ulph has taken over as head chef at the I’ll Be Mother Group’s The Twenty Six restaurant in Tunbridge Wells.

He joins from Robert Thompson’s eponymous restaurant on the Isle of Wight, where he was head chef, and previously cooked at Morimoto in California for a year.

Ulph replaces Scott Goss, co-founder of I’ll Be Mother, who will focus on developing his position as creative director and executive chef at the Kent-based restaurant group.

In his new role at The Twenty Six Ulph is developing a tasting menu, aiming to stay true to the restaurant’s ethos while bringing in Asian influences and ‘bold’ flavours.

Dishes being developed include pigs head, smoked eel, garden radishes and pickled apple; steamed plaice, courgettes, sumac and yoghurt; and white chocolate and miso fudge petit fours.

The restaurant will also host a series of guest chef nights from the likes of Michael Bremner from Brighton’s 64 Degrees, and Sticky Walnut’s Gary Usher.

The Twenty Six launched in 2014 with 26 chairs for 26 people. Its menu traditionally uses ingredients sourced from Kent and East Sussex, including game birds, oysters and local wines.

I’ll Be Mother also runs The Swan in Tenterden and The Beacon in Tunbridge Wells.