Ben Taylor appointed head chef at the Woodspeen in Berkshire

Ben Taylor has been appointed head chef at the Woodspeen in Berkshire after a decade at Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa in Wiltshire.

He joins the Michelin Guide recommended, three-AA-rosette restaurant from the Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones, where he was head chef, having been mentored by Jones himself.

Prior to that, he worked with Grady Atkins at Le Gallois restaurant in Cardiff.

Taylor has introduced an à la carte menu at the Woodspeen, featuring dishes such as Cornish crab salad with shellfish jelly, Orkney scallops with butternut squash escabeche and spiced pork fritter, and monkfish with Jerusalem artichoke, smoked butter and caviar sauce.

As well as overseeing the kitchen, he leads the Woodspeen Cookery School, which offers courses to guests throughout the year.

Taylor said: “The restaurant has a strong identity and loyal following, and I’ve always admired its focus on seasonality and close relationships with local producers.”

Alessandro Fasoli, managing director of the Woodspeen and WSH Restaurants, added: “Ben’s careful consideration for ingredients as well as his commitment to seasonality and refined, produce-led cooking, are totally aligned with our ethos at the Woodspeen.”

The Woodspeen was first launched by chef John Campbell in partnership with WSH in 2015. The restaurant held a Michelin star between 2015 and 2023.

WSH Restaurants also operates the Clockspire in Somerset, the Boxford in Berkshire, the Braywood near Maidenhead and 74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy in London’s Fitzrovia, which opened late last year.

WSH is also the parent company of hospitality brands including Benugo, Searcys, BaxterStorey, Holroyd Howe and Genuine Dining.