i. Biography
Training and Lineage
Produce-led London cooking is often learned through rooms where sourcing, service rhythm and restraint carry as much weight as finish. Early work at Terroirs placed Tom Hurst inside that register, where provenance, flavour and atmosphere were part of the craft rather than decoration. The opening team at Brawn added the pressure of a new kitchen and the need to handle ingredients with pace as well as judgement. Further work at The Marksman, Levan, Salon, and Larry’s kept that training close to seasonal menus, local produce and the daily discipline of service. The craft accumulated in those kitchens is visible in a plain set of working habits: one clear idea on the plate, richness held in check, acidity used for lift, familiar home-grown ingredients treated without nostalgia. The head chef role at Lasdun in Southbank, London, United Kingdom, gave Hurst a sharper pass to work from and a more defined field for that style. Restaurant identity is built through repetition as much as intent. Hurst is chef & co-founder; Executive Chef of Cloth (since 2024) and custodian of Cloth Cornhill (since 2025), bringing the experience of opening teams, established capital kitchens and senior responsibility into a format centred on British produce and controlled technique.
The Current Work
Modern British cooking at Cloth is built around produce first, with Hurst working in a pared-back, ingredient-led mode. Ingredients such as Dorset crab and Somerset lamb are given enough space to register: shellfish sweetness, meat depth, acidity, seasoning and texture are kept legible rather than crowded by extra gesture. The structure comes from seasonal cooking executed with French technique. In practice, that means technique supports the ingredient rather than announcing itself. Balance sits in sauce work, texture, salt, fat, bitterness and acid; the plate reads cleanly because the underlying handling is steady. The dishes attached to the work at Cloth show the range within that discipline. Cornish squid with black olive, preserved lemon and lardo sets sea flavour against salinity, citrus and fat. Somerset hogget with grilled cos lettuce, smoked tongue and anchovy moves into a deeper savoury register, with smoke and brine around the meat. Rhubarb sorbet with blood orange caramel works through contrast: sharp fruit, cold brightness and bittersweet depth.
Signature
The signature set — Veal, Cornish squid with black olive, and Somerset hogget with grilled cos lettuce — marks the range of Hurst’s cooking while staying close to the same centre. Veal points to classic substance and careful handling. Cornish squid with black olive brings a coastal, sharper register. Somerset hogget with grilled cos lettuce shows meat given a robust but measured setting. The common method is reduction, not simplification. The names are direct, but the combinations do work: bitterness against fat, smoke against sweetness, acid against richness. Hurst’s signatures are built around the ingredient arriving with its character intact.
Recognition
Recognition for the work can be read through dishes singled out from menus and appearances. For British Pie Week at The Three Horseshoes, Hurst served Veal, Smoked Bacon & Wild Garlic Pie, using a British format as a frame for veal, smoke, green pungency and pastry. The reference point is tradition; the handling remains controlled. The cited Cloth dishes move across seafood, meat and dessert with the same central discipline. Cornish squid is paired with black olive, preserved lemon and lardo; Somerset hogget is served with grilled cos lettuce, smoked tongue and anchovy; rhubarb sorbet is finished with blood orange caramel. Each dish places one main ingredient at the centre, then uses supporting accents to deepen, sharpen or clarify it. The through-line is British produce handled with restraint, modernity and technical calm. At Cloth in London, Hurst has made that approach the clearest expression of his cooking to date.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tom
What does Tom Hurst do now?
Tom Hurst is co-founder of Cloth.
Where did Tom Hurst work before?
Earlier in their career, Tom Hurst worked at Terroirs, Brawn, and The Marksman.
What is Tom Hurst known for?
British produce-led cooking.
