Oliver Peyton has appointed Simon Duff as executive chef of The National Gallery restaurants, The National Dining Rooms and the National Café.
Australian-born Duff joins the Peyton and Byrne restaurants from five-star boutique hotel The Franklin in Knightsbridge, where he held the position of executive chef.
Since former executive chef Rufus Wickham left to head Kettner’s in Soho, Duff has stepped in to create new County of the Month menus for the Dining Rooms, predominantly featuring rare breeds of British-reared beef, lamb, duck and trout as part of his commitment to regional produce.
The National Café will serve a simpler menu consisting mostly of Mediterranean dishes with a contemporary British influence.
Duff’s experience also includes an executive chef position at Jaan at The Howard hotel, London, the Ritz Carlton in Sydney, the Sofitel group and the Oak Rooms under Marco Pierre White.