Welcome to The Go-To Weekend, where chef Kate Austen welcomes one of the most influential voices in modern British seafood cooking into her kitchen. This episode features Tom Brown, former Michelin starred head chef of Cornerstone, Great British Menu winner, and the chef behind some of London’s most talked about openings in recent years. From Cornwall to Hackney Wick, Brown’s career has been defined by ambition, precision, and a refusal to stand still.

Tom reflects on the reality of competing on Great British Menu, from the chaos behind the cameras to the life changing effect it had on his restaurants. He speaks candidly about the pressure to win, the disappointment of criticism, and how reviews can shape not just public perception but personal confidence. It is a frank look at success, ego, and the cost of visibility in hospitality.

In the kitchen, Tom cooks one of his signature dishes, the Cornerstone hake kebab filled with pesto butter, while breaking down technique, sustainability, and why hake deserves far more respect than it gets. Alongside the cooking, he opens up about closing Cornerstone, the emotional weight of shutting a restaurant, and why knowing when to walk away can be as important as knowing how to build.

The conversation moves beyond food into burnout, viral dishes, London dining culture, and Tom’s work as a consultant on the film Boiling Point. Honest, sharp, and deeply human, this episode captures the reality of modern chef life, the highs, the losses, and what comes next after the lights go out.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.