Cornerstone by Chef Tom Brown has been honoured with its first star in the Michelin Guide to UK and Ireland 2021.
Arguably one of the highest recognitions a restaurant can be afforded, both Chef Patron Tom Brown (pictured centre) and Head Chef James Toth (pictured second right) welcome the news during such a tough time for the hospitality industry.
Launched April 2018, Nathan Outlaw protégé, Brown opened his first restaurant Cornerstone, Hackney Wick to critical acclaim.
The 46-cover restaurant showcases Tom’s style of simple, clean and produce-driven cooking with British seafood its heart.
Dishes at Cornerstone include the signature Pickled oysters with celery and horseradish; Mackerel pate with treacle bread; Crab rarebit crumpet and Wild mushroom hake Kiev with truffle hollandaise.
Speaking of the honour, Brown commented, ‘Every year there’s a lot of will-they-wont-they around Michelin but me and the team prefer to keep our heads down and focus on the restaurant and our visitors.
'This year has been a blow for anyone that works in our industry and of course we are delighted with the recognition, it’s a very welcome morale boost. But I want to send congrats to all my peers in hospitality - with or without stars - making it though 2020 alone was one hell of an achievement.
'The star from Michelin is entirely dedicated to our Hackney Wick Community, loyal supporters of the restaurant and the whole Cornerstone team including my head chef, James, nothing is possible without all of them.'
Named after Brown’s favourite Arctic Monkeys track, Cornerstone is deeply involved within the Hackney Wick community and a proud sponsor of Hackney Wick Football Club.
Other awards and recognitions for Brown and Cornerstone include: National Restaurant Awards in 2018, being named ‘Chef to Watch’ and Cornerstone named ‘One to Watch’.
The same year, Cornerstone was awarded ‘Best New Entry’ in the 2018 Good Food Guide and ‘Breakthrough Chef of the Year’ at the Food & Travel Reader Awards. Cornerstone also won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the prestigious Observer Food Monthly Awards 2018.
Since then the accolades have come rolling in, from securing 3 AA Rosettes in 2019, Hardens Awards’ Best Seafood and Fish Restaurant 2019 and No. 3 in the UK by National Restaurant Awards Top 100, 2019.
Brown most recently won the GQ Chef of The Year Award 2020.
He appeared on 2018’s Great British Menu representing the South West, where his dish ‘Poor Man’s Goose’ was the coveted main course and is a regular on BBC 2’s Saturday Kitchen, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and ITV’s This Morning.