Adrian Booth has been appointed head chef at Parker’s Tavern restaurant in Cambridge.
In his new role, Booth will oversee the day to day running of the kitchen and will be responsible for lunch and evening services as well as managing private dining, breakfast and room service menus for University Arms, Cambridge. Booth will work closely alongside Chef Director Tristan Welch, who will oversee menu development and continue championing Parker’s Tavern as a pioneer of sensational East Anglian produce. Originally from South-East London, Booth is a long-standing member of the World Master Chefs Society, a global honours society for professional chefs, where he has been a member for 15 years. He previously spent two years as head chef of Ickworth House Hotel in Suffolk where he led the team to win 2AA rosettes. Prior to this, Booth was Group Head chef at Drake & Morgan where he built his experience as their culinary lead, responsible for menu creation, development, and operations across 23 restaurants in London and across the UK. It was at Ickworth House where Booth first discovered his passion for farm to fork produce. Here, he learned the importance of championing seasonal ingredients and working with great, local suppliers – knowledge and expertise he will bring to Parker’s Tavern, which is renowned for its approach to championing East Anglia’s unique produce. Booth says, “I am thrilled to be joining the exceptionally talented team at Parker’s Tavern. I’m looking forward to building our kitchen and believe that this is a great environment for ambitious chefs, who care about fresh, seasonal produce and who are keen to develop their skills and progress. I am also looking forward to working closely with the incredible suppliers who have helped Parker’s Tavern carve out its reputation as one of the best restaurants in Cambridge”. Parker’s Tavern is a destination restaurant in Cambridge overlooking the iconic Parker’s Piece. The vision of designer Martin Brudnizki, it mirrors the communal dining halls synonymous with Cambridge Colleges. This English tavern serves locally sourced, seasonal food, with every dish a whimsical re-imagining of a British classic, sourced from field, fen and England’s seas. The restaurant features Cambridge Blue wall panelling, traditional solid-wood parquet flooring and original stained-glass windows with crest detailing, reminiscent of the traditional architecture of Cambridge University Colleges. The restaurant is part of University Arms, which is a landmark hotel located in the historic heart of Cambridge. First opened in 1834 as a coaching inn, the hotel relaunched alongside Parker’s Tavern in August 2018, after a two year, £80m transformation.