Goodwood restaurant '˜excited' for the arrival of new head chef

The popular restaurant Farmer, Butcher, Chef are delighted to hire Ben Hammet as its new head chef and it was his international cuisine that impressed the team.

Ben Hammet began his career at Goodwood at the age of only 16, where he then spent two years learning the basics before jetting off to work in Italy, followed by a fast tour of the globe.

London played important part in Ben’s food adventure as he had the opportunity to work on Bond Street in a kitchen under chef Matt Edmunds.

The lure of the British Virgin Islands took Ben to a private island next to Necker which had no roads and only 15 staff, he quickly learnt to create dishes using only seasonal and local produce,

Over the years Ben regularly cooked Sunday lunch for Richard Branson and his family and then he took his skills to Australia with a stint as Chef de Cuisine at a restaurant in Melbourne, before finally returning to England, and to Goodwood.

Ben said: “I’ve always wanted to come back to Goodwood. It’s where I started my career and it holds a special place in my heart.

“My grandfather was a chef who loved it here and it was him who gave me the desire to cook – it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Both Ben and the team are excited for this new journey.

Goodwood’s group executive chef, Darron Bunn, said: “We feel extremely privileged to have Ben return to the team here at Goodwood and I’m really excited about our customers getting to experience his flair and passion for food.”