i. Biography
At Behind in London, the open kitchen is not a viewing device added to service; it is the service model. Chef-owner Andy Beynon has built the restaurant so the making, finishing and placing of each course remain part of one continuous act. The counter keeps timing visible, puts the chefs in direct contact with the diner, and removes the usual split between production and front-of-house delivery. “For me, the service is as much a part of the meal as the food itself, which is why the entire menu will be served by us, the chefs. This is the chance for our diners to get a look "behind" the scenes of a busy kitchen.” The name Behind works because the format makes the working room legible. Fine dining often edits out the last decisions before a plate reaches the table; here, those decisions stay in view. In Andy Beynon’s dining room, the exchange across the counter is close, practical and immediate: the same hands that prepare the food also serve it.
The Ascent
High-level kitchen craft is built through repetition under pressure, and Andy Beynon’s early roles placed him inside a run of serious kitchens: chef at J Sheekey, chef at Lords of the Manor, chef at Pied à Terre, and chef at The Ledbury. The later move into the development kitchen at City Social added a different register of testing and refinement, before he taught at culinary school. That background sits underneath Behind’s pared-back presentation. The restaurant’s apparent simplicity depends on prior discipline: how a kitchen holds timing, how ideas are tested before service, and how technique can support a dish without becoming the point of it. Today, he is chef-owner of Behind, a role he has held since 2020.
The Current Chapter
A first restaurant carries the pressure of authorship, and Behind is tied to place as well as format. Andy Beynon opened it in Hackney because the area had long been his home and held personal meaning for him. The result is a fine-dining room anchored in a neighbourhood rather than treated as a neutral stage. The open-kitchen concept gives the restaurant its structure. Behind’s name refers to the view it offers into a fine-dining kitchen, and the chefs serve the full menu themselves. That arrangement keeps authorship close to the plate: the person involved in the making is also part of the handover. The cooking is fish-focused, seasonal and built with British produce. Dinner is a surprise seasonal menu centred on fish, with around ten delicate, balanced and skilful courses. The work is calibrated rather than showy: timing, clarity and restraint do more of the labour than decoration. One fixed point is the fish pie croquette, which can always be found on the menu. Seasonal cooking here moves by supply rather than by announcement. As Beynon puts it: “It’s seasonal tweaks, rather than a full menu change. We can change dishes weekly or even daily, dependent on what our suppliers have available.” That method keeps the menu responsive to what arrives in good condition. Dishes can shift weekly or even daily without turning the restaurant into a different proposition. The craft remains close to the material, the suppliers and the working rhythm of the kitchen.
Signature
Signature dishes include Fish pie croquette.
Standing
Andy's honors include One Michelin Star for Behind (2021).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Andy
What is Andy Beynon's current position?
Andy Beynon is chef-owner at Behind.
Where did Andy Beynon work before?
Earlier in their career, Andy Beynon worked at J Sheekey, Lords of the Manor, and Pied à Terre.
What recognition has Andy Beynon received?
One Michelin Star for Behind (2021).
