Kemble, who will start the role the end of January, most recently held the position of head chef at Bonhams in Mayfair, which received a Michelin Star within seven months of opening. Kemble also has experience at restaurants including Blackheath’s Chapter 2, Foliage at Mandarin Oriental and Sweden’s Faviken.
The restaurant, located within South Lodge Hotel in Sussex, will see a revised menu offering including a five-course set lunch priced at £50 and a six or eight-course evening menu at £70 and £90 respectively, with wine flights also on offer.
“I’m very excited to be taking up my new position at The Pass," says Kemble. "As a small cover fine-dining restaurant, it is the perfect place to further evolve my cuisine."
Kemble says he intends to focus on "seasonal, high-quality produce-led cooking", working with the supplier network that he has established over the past five years. He will also make use of the hotel's walled kitchen garden.
Kemble worked as sous chef for Mikael Jonsson at Hedone restaurant in Chiswick, before working for Magnus Nilsson at his Swedish destination restaurant Faviken. Kemble credits both Hedone and Faviken as the ingredients-led restaurants that shaped his approach to cooking and ignited his passion for sourcing the finest produce available.
“Tom’s skills and expertise within the kitchen really are second to none, the accolades and reviews he has received are testament to this," says Exclusive Hotels and Venues managing director, Danny Pecorelli.
"With the restaurant itself undergoing a refresh, we are all looking forward to welcoming yet more industry leading talent to the team and witnessing the new direction in which Tom will lead The Pass.”
Under Kemble, Bonhams entered Restaurant magazine's 2018 list of the top 100 places to eat in the UK, debuting at number 81.
In addition, Exclusive Hotels is opening a spa at the luxury hotel to further enhance its offer. The Spa at South Lodge will open on 15 March.