Matt Weston

TRIBUTES have been paid to Matt Weston, a chef who could bake you an award-winning pie while explaining complicated mathematical equations.

The cook, who ran the kitchen at Tapping The Admiral pub in Kentish Town, died unexpectedly on Saturday. Mr Weston, 45, joined the Tapping The Admiral team nine years ago, running his own kitchen business. Known for his large moustache – he was nicknamed “Walrus” by friends – his pie dinners at the Castle Road pub have won acclaim.

When Mr Weston had failed to arrive for work at the weekend, friends raised the alarm. They discovered he had passed away in his home above the Lady Hamilton pub in Kentish Town Road. He had been unwell in the past, but had recovered from a life threatening illness.

Pub manager Josh Freeborn told the New Journal: “We were all really close to him – we are a tight-knit group. Tapping The Admiral is a large community of people – all ages, races, classes. The pub is a melting pot. Matt was shy and reserved, but was unconsciously such a large part of this community. It was home.”

Mr Weston’s colleague Liam Joplin said: “He was not a very social guy but he worked in a busy pub and he loved it. “He had a dry sense of humour, and was private about his personal life. When he opened up, he would talk about his passions: he was a nerd, and he wouldn’t mind you saying that, he loved comics, video games – both playing and as an art form – writing poetry, music and reading.

“He once did a reading of his poems at an event – and made sure he did not tell any of his friends, so none of us could come. He was shy, humble, and very talented.”

Mr Weston was born in Skegness. He studied Maths at Oxford University and completed a PhD at the University of Sussex.

He worked as a chef in Brighton – his advanced studies were due to finding the topic enjoyable, rather than a career path. He equally loved running a catering business.

After moving to London, Mr Weston helped put the pub on the map for his range of pies.

Mr Freeborn said: “He was an excellent chef. He had a real sense of flavour. “He loved going to great restaurants, going to the best delis, searching for ingredients. He loved reading books about food – not recipes books, but books written about eating, food, cooks, the whole culture. “He always wanted to experiment in the kitchen.”

Around seven years ago Mr Weston suffered a kitchen accident, where he was severely burned by hot oil. He recovered and returned to work.

“He had this tremendous resilience,” recalled Mr Joplin. “He had lived a tough life yet he was happy, confident and one of the most generous people you could meet. “Kitchens can be stressful places but he never raised a voice, had a bad word for any body or ever said anything disparaging.”

Both the Lady Hamilton and Tapping The Admiral, were closed over the weekend as staff took in the tragedy.

Owner Paul Davies said: “Matt was a quietly spoken gentleman with a real intellect. Some chefs are prima donnas who boss their staff around – not Matt.

“He was lovely to everyone he worked with and he was great at running the kitchen. He was straightforward, a meat and potatoes man and he knew what he was doing. “He was private but popular.”

Staff and regulars are planning to hold a memorial for Mr Weston in the coming weeks.