VERY interesting changes are afoot at Aqua Shard as they confirm that Ben Spalding is joining the restaurant as Executive Chef from May 11. So this is another high-rise restaurant which has a well known and highly rated chef heading things up, following Dan Doherty at Duck & Waffle and Jason Atherton at City Social. It's a good move for Aqua - Hutong has has some great press since opening, but Shard has perhaps not quite created an identity for itself. This should change things.
As for Ben Spalding himself, if you don't know who he is - he's had experience in some of the UK's (and also abroad) best restaurants. He's probably best known for Roganic and a short stint at the John Salt, but has also worked at The Ledbury, 28+ in Sweden, Per Se, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, another high rise - Rhodes W1 and more besides. Recently he's been doing his "Stripped back" meals and various residencies across town including the Laundry earlier this year.
The menu is still a work in progress - apparently Ben will be getting to know the team before making changes. Apparently he "will oversee and execute all menus from breakfast and lunch through to afternoon tea, dinner and private events, with the new dishes launching at the end of the summer". So that afternoon tea should be interesting and Aqua Shard definitely became a restaurant to watch...
Aqua Shard is at Level 31 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY. For more from them, follow them on Twitter @aquashard
