Tom Aikens seeks new investors as bookings fall

London chef-restaurateur Tom Aikens has admitted he is on the lookout for new investors after a fall in diners at his Michelin-starred restaurant in Chelsea.

While Aikens' casual restaurant Tom's Kitchen is thriving, the chef is feeling the pinch of the credit crunch at his more formal, eponymous restaurant.

"We are down 15% for lunch and 10% for dinner," he told the Daily Telegraph. "There is also very little demand for the private dining that we offer."

A spokesman for Aikens said: "Tom Aikens is looking at ways to restructure his restaurant businesses, and is investigating some options."

It is unclear whether Aikens still plans to launch a second Tom's Kitchen restaurant in Canary Wharf, which he announced earlier this year.

In August, Aikens was forced to close his eco-friendly fish and chips restaurant Tom's Place in Chelsea just six months after opening.

The move came after concerns by local residents whose complaints about the smell of chip fat coming from the restaurant's kitchen prompted environmental health officers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to launch legal proceedings against Tom's Place.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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