Mike Carter joins restaurant at Hempel Hotel in W London as head chef

The Hempel Hotel in Bayswater, west London, has appointed Mike Carter as head chef of its fine-dining restaurant No.35. Carter, who replaces Simon Aquilina, joins from Bonds restaurant at Threadneedles hotel in London, where he held the position of senior sous chef.

Before working at Bonds, Carter helped Anthony Demetre open Arbutus in 2007 as sous chef, as well as working under Eric Chavot at the Capital hotel. He also worked as head chef at Searcy's contract at law firm Allen & Overy in London and in Japan for two years at the restaurant in Barakura Gardens.

Carter will serve a modern European menu at No.35, with a range of dishes which includes Welsh crab salad, cucumber, breakfast radishes, wood sorrel and jellied crab essence, and Elwy Valley lamb, artichokes, aubergine caviar, tomato, basil and olive dressing.