Apex Hotels has appointed a new Cluster Head Chef to work between its three London properties.

Daniel Ayton joins the F&B team of the Scottish-headquartered hotel group, taking the lead in the kitchens within Apex City of London Hotel, Apex Temple Court Hotel and Apex London Wall Hotel – The Lampery, Chambers and Lazy Ballerinas, and Off the Wall Bar & Grill, respectively.

The chef, who grew up in a culinary family which owned restaurants in Devon, boasts a wealth of culinary experience with more than 35 years’ experience in the industry at various restaurants and hotels across the UK.

His most recent role, Executive Chef at The Tower Hotel in London, saw him launch Vicinity restaurant, and in the past has held roles at Taj Hotels Palace and Resorts, The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and Starwood Hotel Group, including Cluster Executive Chef and Consultant Chef.

The new role will see Ayton work between the three city hotels with the goal of reintroducing exciting food offerings at each outlet.

At Apex’s Temple Court Hotel, the newly appointed chef will play a lead role in the three-year plan which is in place to relaunch Chambers restaurant and its outdoor food offering, The Courtyard.

Off the Wall Bar & Grill at Apex’s London Wall Hotel reopened last year following a multi-million-pound investment. The new dining concept takes inspiration from land, sea and field and is one of the portfolio’s first hotels to introduce the new offering.

Ayton will also look after the popular The Lampery restaurant, part of Apex City of London Hotel, as well as The Amicable Society of Lazy Ballerinas, a stylish wine bar within the Temple Court property.

“I am incredibly excited to get started at Apex Hotels and begin working within each of the restaurants,” comments Ayton. “Ever since the pandemic kicked in, the hospitality industry has had to keep fighting fire after fire and so many plans have been put on pause. Now we are looking to the future and putting our plans in place.”

He adds: “I have worked in many cluster roles, so I am confident going into the new role and looking forward to getting to know the teams at each of the hotels. For me, one of the most important responsibilities I will have is ensuring the team continues to be treated respectfully, giving them empowerment and nurturing loyalty. Staff retention is key, especially at such a critical time for the hospitality industry.”

Brian Tapson, Cluster General Manager at Apex Hotels, says: “We are thrilled to welcome Daniel to the team. He brings a great deal of talent and experience, so we are confident that he will fit in well and hit the ground running. It’s an exciting time for F&B at Apex Hotels so watch this space.”