Chef’s Table: Michelin star chef Tom Sellers on pushing the boundaries of food

Tom Sellers is one of the most innovative chefs in the culinary world today. At 26 years old, he opened his restaurant Restaurant Story in Bermondsey, earning two Michelin stars for his unique approach to fine dining. 10 years on, the restaurant has undergone intense refurbishments and Tom has only cemented his name on the culinary pantheon by unveiling two more restaurants in London.

In March 2023, he opened Story Cellar, a Parisian-inspired rotisserie restaurant in Neal’s Yard, Seven Dials, focusing on rotisserie chicken, house-cured charcuterie, and fine wines by the glass. Two months later, he partnered with 1 Hotel Mayfair to open Dovetale, a restaurant rooted in seasonality, organic produce and nostalgia, with a tableside knickerbocker glory trolley designed by Tom himself.

Tom has also worked with numerous prestigious brands like Rolls Royce, Bang & Olufsen, and Patron. And has also acted as the official chef for Formula 1’s hospitality division F1 Garage. 

So, for the May edition of our Chef’s Table series, Tom Sellers tells us about his drive behind wanting to constantly innovate with food, working with so many prestigious brands and his comfort favourite dishes.You head up the fine dining restaurant Restaurant Story in London — among others — in London Bridge. What sets your menu apart?
What sets us apart is that we’re not afraid to strip things back. We celebrate simplicity, but with depth. We’ll take something as modest as an onion and turn it into something profound. It’s not about luxury for luxury’s sake — it’s about finding the extraordinary in the familiar.  

How would you describe your style as a chef? What do you want your guests to experience when they come to your restaurants?
Emotional, evocative, and deeply personal. I don’t cook to impress; I cook to connect. The food at Story isn’t just about flavour, it’s about memory, emotion, and time. It’s narrative-driven, built on moments that have shaped me. There’s precision, of course; a deep respect for craft but the heart of it is always human.  

You have such a storied culinary career, always pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in the kitchen. Where did your passion for cooking come from?
I think I fell in love with the idea that food could tell a story. That it could say something about where you’re from, who you are, and what you believe in. Once I stepped into a professional kitchen, that was it, I knew I’d found my place. The intensity, the discipline, the creativity — it consumed me.  You are the UK Chef Ambassador for Rolls Royce, among others. How did this partnership come to be?
The partnership with Rolls-Royce came about quite organically, really — through shared values more than anything else. Rolls-Royce, like what we strive for at Story, is about more than just craftsmanship. It’s about legacy, precision, and emotion. They’re not just building cars — they’re curating experiences. I am lucky enough to have been working alongside Rolls Royce for 7 years now.  

How has your upbringing influenced your cooking?
Growing up in Nottingham, I wasn’t surrounded by fine dining or white tablecloths. The food in our house was simple, hearty, honest, and made with love. My dad was a builder. Grit, graft, getting your hands dirty, that was the norm. And that mentality shaped me far more than I realised at the time. Every dish has a story, and many of those stories come from my childhood. Bread and dripping for example, that was Sunday tea for us. My mum would reserve the beef fat from our roast dinner so that my dad could dip his bread into the fat. Now, it’s a dish on the menu, reimagined, but rooted in the past.  Away from the restaurant, what is your ultimate personal comfort food or favourite dish?
Beans on white toast . It’s warm, familiar, and a bit nostalgic.

Who are some of your chef heroes?
I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best in the world, and each one’s  left a mark on me, not just in terms of skill, but mindset. Tom Aikens was a huge influence. He gave me my first real break. Thomas Keller is another. Then there’s  people like Marco Pierre White, a raw force of nature, someone who brought  emotion and art into the kitchen in a way that broke all the rules. He made cooking dangerous and poetic, and I think that energy still echoes in a lot of what I do. 

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