Adam Byatt wants to write a book, and if he leaves the kitchen for long enough to do so he’ll have quite a tale to tell. Trinity, Byatt’s second restaurant in Clapham, has recently won the AA Hospitality Award for best London Restaurant and the Time Out award for Best Local Restaurant, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

Byatt’s first Clapham venture, with best friend Adam Oates, was the much loved by locals – and critically acclaimed – Thyme on Clapham Park Road. Aged just 26 this was the chef’s first attempt at running his own restaurant, and it was a roaring success. "We (the Adams) worked incredibly hard for three and a half years," says Byatt, and it paid off. Thyme won the Carlton London Best New Restaurant Award in 2003 and the Adams were busier than ever. While "it was never particularly financially successful, this was my biggest learning curve," says Byatt and, at its peak, Oates and Byatt made the decision to take Thyme to the west end.

Moving to media haunt The Hospital in Covent Garden felt like a good idea at the time, but this decision proved to be Thyme’s downfall. Poor reviews and an empty restaurant led to its closure in 2003. While Byatt chose to stay on at The Hospital, changing Thyme to Origin, Adam Oates decided to go his own way. While Origin proved a greater success than Thyme it wasn’t long before Byatt realised the west end wasn’t the life for him.

Having worked since leaving school at he age of 16 ("I didn’t find school particularly pleasant or worthwhile"), Earlsfield based Byatt has an impressive bank of experience for a man of his age. Landing his first job at Claridges, a young and disobedient Byatt soon learnt that you start at the bottom in this game, and in an old school French kitchen, under 60 chefs, being the junior is no picnic. The decision was made to send Byatt on a specialised chef course at the Academy of Culinary Arts, partly because the chefs spotted his potential but also because Byatt still had a fairly disruptive attitude. The course lasted for four and a half year course, during which Byatt spent his time between London and Southampton.

This was the first time Essex-born had Byatt left home and it was during this time that he was taught how to be a chef ("not to cook and yes there is a difference," he assures me). Likening the experience to a military operation, it was the hierarchy of chefs he worked on the course that taught Byatt the meaning of the word discipline, a much needed attribute to further himself in the field.

Then Byatt met John Williams, who was head chef at the Berkley Hotel in Knightsbridge – and his soon-to-be boss. After a six month stint at the Berkeley, Byatt returned to Claridges but he felt it was time to leave the world of hotels and explore new horizons. "In a hotel you’re part of a chain of events that affects the whole experience, in a restaurant you’re at the raw edge of making someone’s experience," says Byatt. Moving to a restaurant Byatt’s chosen path, on which he encountered Philip Howard, chef and co-owner of The Square in Mayfair. Whilst working under Howard Byatt admits he learnt how to cook from the heart. "This ignited my passion for food. I was producing my own food for customers and from there I decided I wanted my own restaurant," says Byatt.

After a failed attempted to launch a restaurant in Parsons Green (which Byatt spent two years working on, only for it to close before even opening to the pubic) and a gratifying experience launching a series of juice bars with Philip Howard in St James, Byatt and Adam Oates cooked up the idea of Thyme. After Thyme became Origin Byatt returned to Clapham to find his prime spot – The Polygon (formerly the site of the Polygon Bar & Grill) was on the market. He approached the vendor and proposed his idea, now established as Trinity, and the two men went into business together.

Byatt lives in Earlsfield with his wife and three year old son. They moved there from Fulham in 2000 and the family are now on their third rung of the property ladder – and have all intentions of staying put. "It’s a great location, and Earlsfield has some cracking schools I’m hoping to get my son into," says Byatt, admitting it feels strange to be considering such adult things. Clapham’s sense of community is a strong attraction for Byatt, who loves the fact you can develop relationships with your locals, "you don’t get that in the west end," he states. In the little spare time that he gets, Byatt enjoys spending time with his wife and "little boy" (on the common and even in the kitchen), thrashing out his stress in the gym and occasionally socialising in Lost Society. His favourite restaurant, Roka on Charlotte Street, is sadly one Clapham can’t claim. But given that he spends at least 80 hours a week working in Clapham Old Town we can’t blame him for wanting a night off. ENDS

Try Trinity for lunch

Sample Byatt’s cooking in the afternoon, when two courses from the Light Lunch menu will cost just £12 per head, or £18 per head from the A La Carte menu.

Trinity

4 The Polygon SW4

0207 622 1199

www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk