Alastair Little
Alastair is a self-taught chef and former head chef at Old Compton Wine Bar London, from 1974 to 1976. His cookery has been a major catalyst in the evolution of modern British cuisine. Pedigree As a boy, Alastair travelled widely across Europe because his father was a naval officer. His travels ignited his passion for food, although he didn’t study cooking formally, preferring to read archaeology at Cambridge. After university, he returned to the kitchen and learned his trade at London venues, before setting up on his own, first with Suffolk restaurant Le Routier and then Simpsons in Putney. Alistair’s eponymous restaurant, which he opened in Soho in 1985, soon became known as one of the great London eateries. It eventually closed in 2009. Alastair Little was also a chef at L’Escargot restuarant in London from 1981 to 82. He Continue Reading »
Antony Worrall-Thompson
Antony is an award winning celebrity chef, author, television presenter and broadcaster. His appearances in shows such as Ready Steady Cook, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and as the host of BBC2’s Saturday Kitchen, have made him one of the most popular chefs in Britain. Pedigree He studied hotel management at Westminster Kingsway College taking his first catering job in Essex. In 1978, he moved to London and became sous-chef at Brinkley’s Restaurant in the Fulham Road, becoming head chef one year later. The following year he took a sabbatical in France, eating and working his way around the local cuisine. After this he returned to England and started producing pans with his business partner Hassan. Antony Worrall Thompson opened his first restaurant – Ménage à Trois – in Knightsbridge in 1981, notable for only serving starters Continue Reading »
Atul Kochhar
Atul is renowned for the vibrancy of his food and his subtle use of spices. Now a familiar face on television, Atul has appeared on shows such as; Masterchef Goes Large and Great British Menu. He is also a regular guest on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and in 2010 launched his own series: Atul’s Spice Kitchen: Malaysia. Pedigree Born in Jamshedpur, eastern India, Atul Kochhar was trained and worked under the Oberoi Hotel Group in New Delhi where he established himself as one of the leading chefs of his generation. His reputation brought him to London in 1994 where he was appointed head chef at Tamarind restaurant in Mayfair. By the age of 31, he had become the first Indian chef to be awarded the coveted Michelin star. Renowned for the vibrancy of his food and the subtlety of his spice mixes, Continue Reading »
Brian Turner CBE
Brian is a renowned British chef, based in London. He has appeared as a cook on BBC2’s Ready Steady Cook since 1994 as well as presenting other cookery programmes. He trained at various hotels and restaurants, including Simpson’s in the Strand and The Savoy Grill, both under Richard Shepard. Pedigree His early mentor was the late food writer and broadcaster Michael Smith. The popular TV chef has worked at, and launched, many restaurants in London. Most notably, Brian opened The Greenhouse restaurant in Mayfair, which was a stamping ground for chefs including Gary Rhodes, Shaun Hill and Paul Merrett. In 1986, Brian Turner CBE opened his own restaurant Turner’s, in Walton Street, Knightsbridge, London. He ran this until 2001, when it was sold. In February 2002 Brian Turner’s Restaurant opened at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Birmingham’s NEC, and in Continue Reading »
Bryn Williams
Bryn is widely regarded as one of Wales’ best chefs and one of Britain’s new crop of celebrity chefs. He shot to fame in 2006 after beating more established and well-known chefs to cook the fish course for the Queen’s 80th birthday celebrations on the television programme Great British Menu. Pedigree Although originally from Denbigh, in North Wales, he has spent much of his working life in London. In 1997 he started working under Marco Pierre White at The Criterion, before moving on to Le Gavroche, then to the Orrery and in 2006 he became head chef, then chef patron, of Odette’s. His interest in cooking started at a young age, when, during a school trip to a bakery in Dinbych he got to witness the processes involved in bread making. He later worked at the same bakery as a Continue Reading »
