Jason Atherton appoints Matt Worswick as executive chef at Shanghai Edition

Matt Worswick has been appointed executive chef at the Shanghai Edition, where Jason Atherton oversees three restaurants for Marriott International’s lifestyle hotel brand.

The news follows the announcement that Worswick would be leaving his role as head chef at the one-Michelin-starred Latymer restaurant at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Surrey, where he spent nearly four years. Steve Smith, currently executive chef of the Club Hotel & Spa in Jersey, where the Bohemia restaurant holds a Michelin star, will take over from Worswick in February 2020.

Worswick said: “I’m thrilled to be working alongside Jason and the team at the Shanghai Edition. I’ve long admired Jason’s work, not only in London, but across the globe and I’m extremely excited to be a part of the team from February. My role will include overseeing the three F&B outlets and I’ll be based predominantly at Shanghai Tavern. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Pennyhill Park and would like to thank all the team for their continued support.”

In his new role, Worswick will be involved in overseeing the all-day European brasserie Shanghai Tavern as well as a Japanese Izakaya-inspired restaurant Hiya, and a site in partnership with Hong Kong-based restaurant group Black Sheep called Canton Disco. Worswick replaces Scott Melvin in the role who is understood to be relocating to South Africa.

Atherton added: “I’m so pleased to be welcoming Matt to the team. He’s a fantastic chef with a wealth of experience which will only add to the brilliant reputation the Shanghai Edition has acquired since opening. I’d like to wish Scott Melvin and his wife, Kim the best of luck with their new adventure and thank them for their many years of hard work and loyalty.”

Located across two towers, the 145-bedroom Shanghai Edition is the third collaboration between Atherton and Edition, created by Marriott International and interior designer Ian Schrager. The launch of the three restaurants by Atherton at the Shanghai Edition, which opened in October 2018, followed on from the success of Berners Tavern at the London Edition, which opened in 2013, and the Clocktower at the New York Edition, which opened in 2015 and went on to be awarded a Michelin star in 2018.

Worswick, who won an Acorn Award in 2014, joined Pennyhill Park in 2016 from Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa in the Wirral to replace Michael Wignall.

Having started his career at the Crofters hotel in Lancashire, Worswick went on to work at St Martins-on-the-Isle on the Isles of Scilly with Kenny Atkinson and Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham with David Everitt-Matthias. He was appointed to his first head chef position in 2013 at Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae, Ayrshire, where he won a Michelin star at the age of 26.