Dan Doherty opens Deptford restaurant

Dan Doherty has revealed a return to restaurants one year after it emerged the chef had been investigated over claims of workplace sexual harassment.

As first reported by Eater London, Instagram posts by Doherty refer to a restaurant called Tila in Deptford, which links to an account advertising itself as 'a new restaurant from Dan Doherty', with an all-day offering including breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday roasts and dishes such as Jerusalem artichokes with roasted cashew butter, truffle and pickled walnut; aged beef mince ragout; and butter-roasted Devon crab. Posts suggest the restaurant is already open.

Doherty has been contacted for comment.

Doherty ceased working with the Royal Oak in London’s Marylebone last January following the allegations, while Rhubarb severed ties with the chef, who was consulting with the foodservice company on a New York restaurant.

Consultancy firm HR180 interviewed Royal Oak employees about claims that Doherty had asked a junior female member of staff for oral sex and had told workers he wanted to see them without their kitchen whites on.

He was found guilty of "misconduct" by the external firm and forced to apologise in front of staff at a company-wide meeting. Doherty returned to work following the investigation, moving from head chef to executive chef so that he would be less involved in the day-to-day running of the kitchen, but later left altogether.

Doherty, who also stepped down from his role as a judge the BBC's Britain's Best Home Cook, said in a statement at the time: "I would never intentionally make offensive comments to anyone I work with, female or male. I have apologised to the whole team for any offence I may have inadvertently caused. It would never be my intention."

In a tweet the chef added: "I want to say sorry. There are mistruths in what was published but I have made mistakes, mistakes I truly am sorry for."

Doherty opened the Royal Oak in June 2018 with business partner Andy Ward, marking his first solo venture since leaving Duck & Waffle in last April.