Tom Allen is the talented Chef de Cuisine at one of the world‘s most unique and exciting restaurants, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, located in the renowned Atlantis The Royal. With over 16 years of culinary experience working alongside the much-loved Heston family, Tom is spearheading experiential dining and storytelling at its finest, with a menu inspired by the tastes and flavours of Britain dating back as far as the 14th century.

Born and raised in Cheltenham, a small town in Gloucestershire, England — Tom‘s love of cooking began from a very early age shadowing is mum in the kitchen. His father was a keen gardener and always had many different types of fruit and vegetables growing in their garden. Home cooking was a way to bring the family together and is where Tom formed an emotional connection with food.

In 2001, Tom began working at Lumiere, a small 30-cover restaurant in Cheltenham as Chef de Partie. Working there at such an impressionable age, Tom learnt the values of hard work and dedication and it was during this period where he met Ashley Palmer-Watts, who was at the time the Head Chef of Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. In 2005, Tom made the move to The Fat Duck restaurant working with a high performing team and where he developed a passion for the many processes of the prestigious three-Michelin-starred kitchen.

Tom joined Dinner in 2009 assisting Chef Heston Blumenthal OBE, and developing the historical dishes that they would open the restaurant with, working alongside food historians and museum curators to bring Heston’s vision to life. In 2019 Tom took on the role of Head Chef — Dinner London, he was an instrumental part of the restaurant’s story and has been ever since. Heston was more than just a chef to Tom; he was someone who would lead him onto the road of success and a huge inspirational figure for him.

After spending much of his career in the UK, Tom was excited by the thought of travel, and was curious to see where his journey with Heston would take him. This led him to relocate to Dubai in August 2021 to take up the role of Chef de Cuisine for Dinner by Heston at Atlantis The Royal. In his position, Tom continues to collaborate with food historians and curators to develop seasonal dishes and new menu concepts and work closely with Heston to capture his vision and sense of curiosity in every single dish.

Tom has truly relished every moment working with Heston over the years, where the learning never stops. Being able to connect with Heston and his creative team on both a professional and personal level, including weekly video calls and travelling with Heston to the South of France to the village that first inspired his love of food, has been rewarding for Tom in so many ways.

Describing his cuisine style as edible history through storytelling in the form of highly modern dishes using complex recipes, Tom is excited to introduce Heston‘s Dinner concept to the Middle East, creating an unforgettable experience.

In Tom’s spare time, he can be found travelling the world immersing himself in different cultures, dining, and making memorial moments with his two young daughters and wife. For Tom, family is just as important in the kitchen as it is at home and is what drives his career.

Tom Allen is the talented Chef de Cuisine at one of the world‘s most unique and exciting restaurants, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, located in the renowned Atlantis The Royal. With over 16 years of culinary experience working alongside the much-loved Heston family, Tom is spearheading experiential dining and storytelling at its finest, with a menu inspired by the tastes and flavours of Britain dating back as far as the 14th century.

Born and raised in Cheltenham, a small town in Gloucestershire, England — Tom‘s love of cooking began from a very early age shadowing is mum in the kitchen. His father was a keen gardener and always had many different types of fruit and vegetables growing in their garden. Home cooking was a way to bring the family together and is where Tom formed an emotional connection with food.

In 2001, Tom began working at Lumiere, a small 30-cover restaurant in Cheltenham as Chef de Partie. Working there at such an impressionable age, Tom learnt the values of hard work and dedication and it was during this period where he met Ashley Palmer-Watts, who was at the time the Head Chef of Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. In 2005, Tom made the move to The Fat Duck restaurant working with a high performing team and where he developed a passion for the many processes of the prestigious three-Michelin-starred kitchen.

Tom joined Dinner in 2009 assisting Chef Heston Blumenthal OBE, and developing the historical dishes that they would open the restaurant with, working alongside food historians and museum curators to bring Heston’s vision to life. In 2019 Tom took on the role of Head Chef — Dinner London, he was an instrumental part of the restaurant’s story and has been ever since. Heston was more than just a chef to Tom; he was someone who would lead him onto the road of success and a huge inspirational figure for him.

After spending much of his career in the UK, Tom was excited by the thought of travel, and was curious to see where his journey with Heston would take him. This led him to relocate to Dubai in August 2021 to take up the role of Chef de Cuisine for Dinner by Heston at Atlantis The Royal. In his position, Tom continues to collaborate with food historians and curators to develop seasonal dishes and new menu concepts and work closely with Heston to capture his vision and sense of curiosity in every single dish.

Tom has truly relished every moment working with Heston over the years, where the learning never stops. Being able to connect with Heston and his creative team on both a professional and personal level, including weekly video calls and travelling with Heston to the South of France to the village that first inspired his love of food, has been rewarding for Tom in so many ways.

Describing his cuisine style as edible history through storytelling in the form of highly modern dishes using complex recipes, Tom is excited to introduce Heston‘s Dinner concept to the Middle East, creating an unforgettable experience.

In Tom’s spare time, he can be found travelling the world immersing himself in different cultures, dining, and making memorial moments with his two young daughters and wife. For Tom, family is just as important in the kitchen as it is at home and is what drives his career.