Kenny Tutt, MasterChef 2018 winner, and co-founder of Pitch Restaurant and Cookery School and Bayside Social in Worthing is launching two new projects in Brighton, writes Nick Mosley.

After a hugely successful year-long residency at Shelter Hall, Brighton’s first food hall, chef Kenny Tutt’s smoking robata grill – Ox Block – will be taking over the kitchens at one of the most popular pubs in the North Laine, the Lord Nelson Inn in Trafalgar Street.

The takeover marks the start of a new partnership with award-winning Sussex brewery, Harvey’s.

Launching later this summer, the kitchen will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and customers can expect to find Ox Block’s signature dishes including High Steaks – Sussex 40-day aged sirloin steak, Harvey’s beer braised onions, mustard mayo, Barber’s cheddar and rocket – Gunpowder Chicken and the Deep-Fried Oreo.

In a launch double, and continuing the collaboration with Shelter Hall, Kenny and team will also be opening a new burger restaurant at the busy food hall next week. After plenty of experiments and sell-out burger specials on the Ox Block menu, Patty Guy will see the chef build on a lifelong love for an outstanding burger. The menu – which I had a sneak tasting of a month ago – features smashed burgers, milkshakes including “Peanut Butter Malt” and “Cherry Bakewell” and sides such as bacon chilli cheese fries and buttermilk fried pickles)

But what is a smashed burger? “For me, a smashed burger really highlights the flavour of the aged steak and the ball of beef gets flattened directly on to the grill hence the name smashed so you get maximum flavour,” said Kenny.

“A regular patty is usually made up before hand and for me doesn’t quite get as much meaty umami flavour.”

Shelter Hall is well known for collaborating with local chef partners and restaurants to explore new concepts. Kenny is keen to continue building on that successful relationship.

”Working with Shelter Hall over the last couple of years and being a founder trader there with Ox Block has been amazing,” he said. “So it made sense for us to team up again with Patty Guy when we saw the success of the burgers we were putting on the menu.

“I don’t think you can beat an excellent burger with all the right trimmings, so I can’t wait to launch Patty Guy next week.”

The MasterChef Winner, who recently returned to the current BBC One series for some guest judging, is also excited about the Ox Block kitchen moving to the Lord Nelson Inn.

“This is more than a dream come true for me,” he said.

“Ox Block has been so popular with locals and tourists alike in Brighton, so I’m thrilled to be able to build on this with a wonderful new partnership with Harvey’s Brewery. “It’s the Sussex brewery and the Lord Nelson Inn is one of my favourite Brighton pubs, what could be better than that?”

Ox Block’s last day at Shelter Hall will be bank holiday Monday so that’s your last chance for some grill action until mid-June when the kitchen fully relocates to the Lord Nelson Inn. Patty Guy at Shelter Hall opens on Thursday.

l Kenny at the Foodies Festival, page 30