Twenty Years of Salt Yard Group: A Landmark Chef Series - and Soho is at the Heart of It

Salt Yard Group is turning twenty, and if you're in Soho, you'll want to pay attention. The Spanish and Italian-inspired restaurant group has had a presence in the neighbourhood since its earliest days - Dehesa on Carnaby Street and Ember Yard on Berwick Street are both firm fixtures of the local dining scene - and this summer, both venues take centre stage in a landmark chef series marking two decades of the group's London story.

In partnership with Estrella Damm and programmed by acclaimed chef Lee Westcott, the series runs throughout May and June, with five leading culinary names each taking over a different Salt Yard Group kitchen for one week. Every guest chef brings an exclusive trio of dishes, plus a relaxed presence on kitchen and floor - with one dedicated meet-and-greet evening per week for those who want a more personal experience.

The Soho dates are ones to book quickly. Neil Rankin - a genuine pioneer of fire-based cooking in the UK - comes to Ember Yard on Berwick Street from 8th-14th June, bringing his innovative BBQ approach to a menu that feels right at home in that smoke-kissed dining room. Then Seamus Sam, currently leading Evelyn's Table just around the corner on Lexington Street, heads to Dehesa on Carnaby Street from 25th-31st May, with dishes rooted in his Irish-Malaysian heritage and shaped by time at The Clove Club, Restaurant Story, and Muse.

Beyond Soho, the series also visits Salt Yard Borough, Salt Yard Fitzrovia, and Opera Tavern in Covent Garden. Patrick Powell opens proceedings at Borough (18th-24th May), food writer and author Georgina Hayden brings recipes from her new book MEDesque to Fitzrovia (1st-7th June), and Ixta Belfrage - bestselling author and former Ottolenghi Test Kitchen collaborator - closes the series at Opera Tavern (15th-21st June).

Throughout the series, Salt Yard Group will be adding £1 to every bill in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, contributing towards a bedroom in the new Children's Cancer Centre. A lovely touch for a group that has always understood that good hospitality is about more than just the food.

Twenty years in London, with Soho very much part of the story. Long may it continue.

Full details and bookings at saltyardgroup.co.uk/20-years-of-salt-yard-group