Chef Richard Phillips launches five-course ‘honesty menu’ at Tunbridge Wells restaurant Thackeray’s

Chef Richard Phillips has launched a five-course ‘honesty menu’ at his Tunbridge Wells restaurant Thackeray’s, asking guests to pay “only what they sincerely think it’s worth to them”.

The menu will launch on 14 January and run until March, offering 20 covers from Tuesday to Friday evenings.

Co-owner and executive head chef Phillips said: “We wanted to try something truly innovative in 2020, to take away the traditional boundaries and challenge the way our guests experience food. This definitely isn’t a test – it’s a treat – we want you to pay what it is worth to you.”

Head chef Patrick Hill added: “This is a menu without boundaries. There are no rules and we’re going to be pulling out all the culinary stops with an experiential sensory journey.

“It’s a very exciting proposition for the kitchen team, all ideas are on the table. I don’t want to give away too much, nor can I since the menu will be changing every night but it’s certainly going to get people talking.”

Phillips began his career working under Albert and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche in London, going on to Le Soufflé in London's InterContinental hotel and then working for Marco Pierre White.

He opened Thackeray’s 18 years ago and was awarded a Michelin star in 2003, which it held for two years. It regained the star in the 2014 guide, holding it until the publication of the 2017 red book.