Cornish-born chef Tom Brown is set to celebrate his roots, overseeing an initiative to help train the next generation of hospitality talent in Penzance, as part of a new restaurant at the town’s Grade I-listed Market House.
The Penzance Regeneration Company is delighted to announce a partnership with Cornish Michelin-starred chef Tom Brown to launch a training restaurant, opening in Summer 2027, for students attending Penwith College hospitality courses. The joint venture, which will be on the first floor of Penzance’s historic Market House, aims to give promising hospitality students the opportunity to refine their culinary and hospitality skills in a professional, supported environment, while improving their employment prospects and future earning potential.
Penwith College, part of Truro and Penwith College, will be the restaurant’s education partner, linking its hospitality programmes and apprenticeships directly to the new restaurant. Students and graduates will gain high-quality experience in a live commercial setting through work placements, apprenticeships and employment, creating a clear route from college into rewarding careers in the industry.
Carl Riding, Truro and Penwith College Principal, said: “This partnership will give our students an exceptional opportunity to learn in a professional restaurant, supported by experienced industry professionals. It connects education directly with employment, helping young people develop the skills, confidence and experience they need whilst supporting the future of West Cornwall’s hospitality sector.”
For Tom, the project is a chance to give something back to the community that shaped his early career. Born and bred in Cornwall, Tom began his career working in restaurants across the Duchy, including training at the Kew Inn and then working with Rick Stein in Padstow, before meeting Nathan Outlaw. Tom joined Nathan at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, where he quickly worked his way up the ranks to become head chef.
After three years, Tom moved to London to take on the role of head chef at Nathan Outlaw’s eponymous restaurant at The Capital hotel in Knightsbridge. The restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin star just one year after opening.
Tom has since established himself as one of the UK’s leading chefs, but his connection to Cornwall remains strong. The restaurant will be called AG Brown, after his father and fishing companion. Tom is keen to use his experience to help young people from the region build careers in hospitality and ensure that Cornwall continues to nurture and retain exceptional talent.
Tom explains: “I was lucky enough to have some very supportive people give me opportunities when I was starting out in my career, and I know how important that first step can be. AG Brown is a chance for me to come home to Cornwall and help a new generation of young people discover just how exciting and rewarding hospitality can be. I want the restaurant to be a place where students are properly supported but also challenged to be the very best they can be. There’s so much incredible produce, talent and potential in West Cornwall, and I want AG Brown to help showcase that while giving young people the skills, confidence and experience they need to build successful careers.”
Operated as a charity under the umbrella of the Town Deal-funded Market House project, AG Brown will have a small core kitchen and front of house management team overseeing commercial delivery and training. Most of the restaurant team will be made up of students and graduates from the college, undertaking work placements, apprenticeships and their first jobs in the industry.
Tom will create the restaurant’s ethos, oversee delivery standards and develop the menu, which will celebrate sustainably sourced local produce, with a focus on fish and seafood. Although Tom will continue to be based in London, where he is head chef at The Capital, he will return to Penzance regularly to deliver masterclasses and provide mentoring and support to students throughout the year.
Martin Tucker, Chairman of the Penzance Town Deal said: “Having someone of Tom’s calibre, who was born and raised here in Cornwall, and who understands the journey from starting out in a local restaurant to working at the highest level, is incredibly exciting. AG Brown will bring together education, employment, local produce and enterprise in a way that we hope will have a lasting impact on Penzance and the wider community.”
Alongside AG Brown and as part of the Market House project, PZRC is transforming the old Market Hall at street level to create a new street food hall, featuring three kitchen pods and a bar. The street food pods will be offered to innovative local food entrepreneurs, providing an affordable and supported environment in which growing businesses can develop their ideas, build a customer base and gain the experience they need to become successful, before eventually moving on to operate independently.
Susan Stuart, a director of PZRC, commented: “We’re very excited about these two ventures, which will bring new and diverse food offerings to the town while also creating opportunities for local young people and businesses to grow, develop and improve their prospects. We see the food offering at Market House as strengthening Penzance’s growing reputation as a destination for good food and drink, while encouraging more people to visit and spend time in the town centre. Crucially, the offer will be complementary to – rather than competing with- the town’s existing food and hospitality businesses. The food hall and restaurant will operate year-round, daytime and evening. As well as helping to boost the vitality of the town centre during the day, the ventures will make a meaningful contribution to the evening economy, bringing more activity and footfall to Penzance throughout the year.”
Image Credit to Lateef Okunnu / @lateef.photography
