Neil Campbell

The Climb

Neil Campbell’s career has been shaped in the pressure of service, where rhythm, precision, and stamina are all tested at once. As Head Chef at ROVI in London (2018–2024), Campbell worked at the center of a closely watched kitchen, with years to set the pace from the pass outward. In 2024, he moved into a broader remit as Executive Chef across Ottolenghi restaurants, including ROVI in London. The shift marks a move from one dining room to the wider group, with Campbell’s experience carrying from daily service into the larger shape of the operation.

Today

Campbell now works as Executive Chef across Ottolenghi restaurants, including ROVI in London, a role that extends beyond one menu, one brigade, or one service. It links kitchen leadership with responsibility across the group, placing him at both the operational and strategic level. In a trade that often rewards speed, Campbell’s path reads as measured: years built under service pressure, then applied across the Ottolenghi restaurants.

In Their Words “When I was younger and coming up through the ranks I think I learned the hard way, maybe the old-fashioned way.” “I think it's very important to give back to the generations coming up through the ranks.” Those lines point to a kitchen culture learned through repetition, correction, and time on the line. Campbell speaks plainly about formation under pressure, then about responsibility once that knowledge has been earned. The contrast between what he learned “the hard way” and what he now feels should be passed on gives his approach its shape.

Recognition

No major award or credential is attached to Campbell in this career arc. The recognition here is instead professional: his own words place mentorship inside the job, not beside it. He has described his early formation directly, saying, “When I was younger and coming up through the ranks I think I learned the hard way, maybe the old-fashioned way.” That experience now sits behind his view that it matters to “give back to the generations coming up through the ranks.” In that sense, Campbell’s standing is measured by how he treats the transfer of craft.