i. Biography
Simon Andrews cooks at A Nepita in Ajaccio, France, with the market setting the pace and the kitchen setting the limits. The work is modern, creative, and precise, but the measure is in the detail rather than the display. Local ingredients and fresh products are chosen carefully each day, and the cooking follows that lead: clean-lined, exact, and tied closely to what the island is offering.
The Work Today
Training at Norfolk collage of Arts and Technology gave Simon Andrews an entry point into professional kitchens, and an apprenticeship at Chez Nico in London, England, United Kingdom, established the pace and discipline that would carry through the rest of his career. From there, the path moved through Penny Hill Park in Camberley, England, United Kingdom, Château de Lignan in Béziers, France, Jean-Pierre Bruneau in Brussels, Belgium, Lido in Propriano, Corsica, France (2003), and Palm Beach in Ajaccio, Corsica, France (2003–2009). Each stop adds another layer of kitchen experience, but the throughline is consistency: service discipline, range, and a steady attention to how a professional kitchen is run. Since 2009, A Nepita has been the setting for Simon's most settled expression of that work. In Ajaccio, the day starts with the market, and the cooking stays close to that source. Restraint matters here. Flavors are set with precision, textures kept clear, and the plate built to read cleanly rather than heavily. The menu depends on carefully selected local ingredients and fresh products, and the result is a kitchen language that is modern without excess, controlled without stiffness, and exact without losing its sense of place. The route from London to Camberley, then Béziers, Brussels, Propriano, and Palm Beach in Ajaccio before A Nepita, shows a career built through repetition, adjustment, and accumulation rather than spectacle. Simon Andrews has worked across different rooms and different markets, but the values stay consistent: freshness, accuracy, and an alertness to ingredient quality. At A Nepita, those values are expressed daily through a direct line between what is bought in the morning and what reaches the plate by service.
Signature
Simon’s signature dishes include grilled squid and medley of local fish. These dishes suit his approach particularly well: direct, refined, and alert to the qualities of the sea. Grilled squid, in his hands, suggests the kind of disciplined simplicity that allows a primary ingredient to remain front and center, while medley of local fish speaks to the regional character of his cooking and the steady emphasis on freshness that runs through his work. Both fit within the modern, creative, precise frame that defines A Nepita, offering a concise expression of a chef whose kitchen is built on careful choices and exact execution.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Simon
Where did Simon Andrews train or study?
Simon Andrews trained at Norfolk collage of Arts and Technology.
What is Simon Andrews known for?
Modern gourmet cuisine with delicate flavors focused on island produce, seafood, seasonal vegetables, and land-and-sea pairings.
