Tom Aikens – no longer content with being a big shot Chelsea restaurateur and eco-pioneer – looks as it he’s finally going down the full celeb-chef empire-building route.

It emerges today that he’s planning an offshoot of Tom’s Kitchen SW3, at the back of One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, to open next year.

Is this a sign that the area is at last looking up? City AM, which breaks the Aikens news, reports that the Wharf is at around the same time also to welcome an offshoot of Fitzrovia sushi-specialist Roka W1.

PS (13 March) Thanks to Brunswick (Canary Wharf’s PRs) for confirming the opening date of the new Tom’s Kitchen, which is not until the end of 2009. “Construction on the site, which is immediately adjacent to One Canada Square, will commence in June 2008.”