Ben Champkin

The work at The Botanical Rooms, The Newt in Somerset (2020–2023) sharpened the disciplined style associated with Ben Champkin. Head chef there, he built a reputation on precision and restraint, with a kitchen voice that read as calm rather than showy and focused rather than overworked. The effect is not about flourish; it is about control, clarity and the confidence that comes from measured execution. The move to chef patron at Catch at The Old Fish Market (since 2025) marked a clear next step for Ben Champkin, without changing the basic terms of the cooking.

The role brings authority and stewardship, and it sits comfortably with the same steady composure that defined the earlier years. In Weymouth, the sea-facing setting gives that approach a sharper frame, but the discipline remains the point.

Chef patron at Catch at The Old Fish Market in Weymouth, Ben Champkin works in a kitchen whose plainspoken tone matches the cooking. The line he has drawn is direct: "We don't even have lemons in the building." It points to a method built on conviction rather than convenience, where ingredients are left to carry the plate without ornament.