London, August 2026: Cornish-born chef Tom Brown is set to celebrate his roots, overseeing an initiative to help train the next generation of hospitality talent in Penzance, as part of a new restaurant at the town’s Grade I-listed Market House.
The Penzance Regeneration Company
is delighted to announce a partnership with Cornish Michelin-starred chef Tom Brown to launch a training restaurant, opening in Summer 2027, for students attending Penwith College hospitality courses.
The joint venture, which will be on the first floor of Penzance’s historic Market House, aims to give promising hospitality students the opportunity to refine their culinary and hospitality skills in a professional, supported environment, while improving their employment prospects and future earning potential.
Penwith College, part of Truro and Penwith College, will be the restaurant’s education partner, linking its hospitality programmes and apprenticeships directly to the new restaurant. Students and graduates will gain high-quality experience in a live commercial setting through work placements, apprenticeships and employment, creating a clear route from college into rewarding careers in the industry.
Carl Riding, Truro and Penwith College Principal, said ‘’This partnership will give our students an exceptional opportunity to learn in a professional restaurant, supported by experienced industry professionals. It connects education directly with employment, helping young people develop the skills, confidence and experience they need whilst supporting the future of West Cornwall’s hospitality sector.’’
For Tom, the project is a chance to give something back to the community that shaped his early career. Born and bred in Cornwall, Tom began his career working in restaurants across the Duchy, including training at the Kew Inn and then working with Rick Stein in Padstow, before meeting Nathan Outlaw. Tom joined Nathan at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, where he quickly worked his way up the ranks to become head chef.
After three years, Tom moved to London to take on the role of head chef at Nathan Outlaw’s eponymous restaurant at The Capital hotel in Knightsbridge. The restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin star just one year after opening.
Tom has since established himself as one of the UK’s leading chefs, but his connection to Cornwall remains strong. The restaurant will be called AG Brown, after his father and fishing companion. Tom is keen to use his experience to help young people from the region build careers in hospitality and ensure that Cornwall continues to nurture and retain exceptional talent.
Tom explains " I was lucky enough to have some very supportive people give me opportunities when I was starting out in my career, and I know how important that first step can be. AG Brown is a chance for me to come home to Cornwall and help a new generation of young people discover just how exciting and rewarding hospitality can be.
I want the restaurant to be a place where students are properly supported but also challenged to be the very best they can be. There’s so much incredible produce, talent and potential in West Cornwall, and I want AG Brown to help showcase that while giving young people the skills, confidence and experience they need to build successful careers."
Operated as a charity under the umbrella of the Town Deal-funded Market House project, AG Brown will have a small core kitchen and front of house management team overseeing commercial delivery and training. Most of the restaurant team will be made up of students and graduates from the college, undertaking work placements, apprenticeships and their first jobs in the industry.
Tom will create the restaurant’s ethos, oversee delivery standards and develop the menu, which will celebrate sustainably sourced local produce, with a focus on fish and seafood. Although Tom will continue to be based in London, where he is head chef at The Capital, he will return to Penzance regularly to deliver masterclasses and provide mentoring and support to students throughout the year.
Martin Tucker, Chairman of the Penzance Town Deal said "Having someone of Tom’s calibre, who was born and raised here in Cornwall, and who understands the journey from starting out in a local restaurant to working at the highest level, is incredibly exciting. AG Brown will bring together education, employment, local produce and enterprise in a way that we hope will have a lasting impact on Penzance and the wider community."
Alongside AG Brown and as part of the Market House project, PZRC is transforming the old Market Hall at street level to create a new street food hall, featuring three kitchen pods and a bar.
The street food pods will be offered to innovative local food entrepreneurs, providing an affordable and supported environment in which growing businesses can develop their ideas, build a customer base and gain the experience they need to become successful, before eventually moving on to operate independently.
Susan Stuart, a director of PZRC, commented “We’re very excited about these two ventures, which will bring new and diverse food offerings to the town while also creating opportunities for local young people and businesses to grow, develop and improve their prospects.
We see the food offering at Market House as strengthening Penzance’s growing reputation as a destination for good food and drink, while encouraging more people to visit and spend time in the town centre. Crucially, the offer will be complementary to - rather than competing with- the town’s existing food and hospitality businesses.
The food hall and restaurant will operate year-round, daytime and evening. As well as helping to boost the vitality of the town centre during the day, the ventures will make a meaningful contribution to the evening economy, bringing more activity and footfall to Penzance throughout the year.”
Notes to Editors
For assistance please contact:
Diana Massey
www.massey.co.uk
[email protected]
Tel: 07939584215
High Res Images of Tom DROPBOX HERE ( Credit to Lateef Okunnu / @lateef.photography)
About Tom Brown
Originally from Cornwall, Michelin-starred chef Tom Brown honed his skills in restaurants across the South West, including Rick Stein’s, before meeting two-Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw. He joined Outlaw’s team at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, quickly rising through the ranks to become Head Chef. After three years, Tom moved to London to lead Nathan’s eponymous restaurant at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, where he successfully retained its coveted Michelin star.
In April 2018, Tom opened his debut restaurant, Cornerstone, in Hackney Wick. The 46-cover restaurant showcased his signature style—simple, seasonal, and produce-driven cooking. The frequently changing menu has featured dishes such as Pickled Oyster with Cucumber, Horseradish, and Dill; Cured Gurnard with Roast Onion Dashi, Chili, Black Olive, and Anchovy; and Hake Kyiv with Chanterelle & Cep Butter, Cauliflower. The restaurant’s open kitchen served as both a focal point and a counter-bar, seating eight guests.
Tom has received numerous accolades throughout his career. At the 2018 National Restaurant Awards, he was named ‘Chef to Watch’, while Cornerstone was awarded ‘One to Watch.’ The restaurant went on to win ‘Best New Entry’ in the 2019 Good Food Guide, ‘Breakthrough Chef of the Year’ at the Food & Travel Reader Awards, and ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Observer Food Monthly Awards.
Tom gained national recognition when he competed on Great British Menu, representing the Southwest. His dish, Poor Man’s Goose, was selected as the main course for the 2018 banquet celebrating 70 years of the NHS. He later returned as a guest ‘Veteran Judge’ on the show’s 14th series.
In 2019, Cornerstone ranked #3 on the National Restaurant Awards’ Top 100 list. The following year, Tom was named British GQ Chef of the Year 2020 and won The Cateys’ Best Newcomer Award. On January 24, 2021, after a challenging year for the hospitality industry, Tom achieved a career milestone—Cornerstone was awarded its first Michelin star, which it successfully retained in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2022. In 2023, the restaurant was also listed in the Harden’s Guide Top 100 Restaurants in the UK.
Continuing his expansion, Tom opened Pearly Queen, an oyster bar and restaurant in Shoreditch, in November 2023. After six successful years, Tom closed Cornerstone in June 2024. In April 2025, Tom returned to Knightsbridge, where he first made his name, with his flagship restaurant, Tom Brown at The Capital.where he won his Michelin Star in February 2026.
About the UK Government Town Deals programme
As part of the then government’s plan for Levelling Up the UK economy and the wider Towns Fund, the Town Deals programme was introduced to regenerate towns and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth, through investments in urban regeneration, digital and physical connectivity, skills, heritage and enterprise infrastructure. Town Deals were offered to all 101 places that submitted proposals, committing over £2.35bn of investment across c.700 projects nationwide. See the press releases associated with Town Deals on gov.uk.
About the Penzance Towns Fund
In June 2021, Penzance secured a Town Deal of up to £21.5 million following the successful submission of its Town Investment Plan for a range of regeneration projects across Penzance and Newlyn.
In addition, Penzance was the only town in Cornwall and among 72 places nationally to be awarded £10.5 million from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund to help the revitalisation of its town centre and high streets.
For more information about Penzance Towns Fund visit:
https://link.edgepilot.com/s/1c3b2ff9/o2aIy2EvtUqXuHRzB8_FwQ?u=http://www.penzancetownfund.co.uk/
Cornwall was the only area invited by the Government to submit proposals for four of its towns: Camborne, Penzance, St Ives and Truro. After conducting extensive public consultations, each Town Deal Board submitted their Town Investment Plan in collaboration with Cornwall Council. As a result, the Government announced in spring 2021 that Cornwall would receive up to £88.7 million from the Town Deals programme.
Cornwall Council is the Lead Authority for the Towns Fund in Cornwall. Cornwall Council supports the governance role of Penzance Town Deal Board and is responsible for administering the Fund on behalf of the Board. For more information visit:
https://link.edgepilot.com/s/12e20aac/y9vnIKhKjkqbhU2eUVUxxQ?u=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/business-trading-and-licences/economic-development/towns-fund
