The greatest chefs

There’s no denying the UK’s culinary talent on the global stage. We’re lucky enough – here in Britain – to play host to some of the most famous chefs in the world. Happily, these top chefs also run their restaurants on our shores, helping to make Britain a deliciously diverse dining epicentre.

Merlin Labron-Johnson

A true rising star, Merlin Labron-Johnson earned his first Michelin star at just 24 for his restaurant Portland. He then went on to open Osip, which has also earned a star along with the number one spot in our Top 100 Restaurants awards.

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Chet Sharma

Chet Sharma is chef patron at BiBi, which is backed by the famous JKS Restaurant group (Trishna, Gymkhana, Hoppers and more). Having worked as a development chef at restaurants like L'Enclume and Moor Hall, Sharma employs advanced techniques to create dishes inspired by traditional Indian fare and is the winner of our 2022 Best Restaurant in London.

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Sally Abe

Sally Abe is a hot shot star of the cooking scene. Listed as a ‘chef to watch’ at the 2019 National Restaurant Awards, Abe is quickly becoming a leading name in cooking.

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Jamie Oliver

We’re going to take a (pretty safe) punt and say Jamie Oliver may well be the UK's most famous chef.

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Jason Atherton

From humble beginnings, Jason Atherton has since gone on to achieve phenomenal success in his career.

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Monica Galetti

Samoan-born New Zealand chef Monica Galetti has spent ten years working on MasterChef: The Professionals and is known for giving frank and honest feedback to contestants. She is also the proprietor of Mere and has written two cookbooks.

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Adam Handling

Dundee-born Adam Handling has been taking the culinary world by storm for a decade. Going from strength to strength, his flagship restaurant Frog has now added a Michelin star to Adam's ever-growing list of accomplishments.

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Aktar Islam

Aktar Islam is a chef renowned for combining authentic Indian recipes with modern techniques and the finest British produce, to create innovative dishes. To this day he owns the only Indian restaurant in the UK outside of London to hold a Michelin star.

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Andrew Wong

Andrew Wong is a pioneer in bringing a glimpse of the true extent of the vastness of Chinese cuisine to these shores. He grew up the son of the owners/chefs of a Chinese restaurant who wanted nothing less than for their son to follow in their footsteps, yet driven and passionate, Wong found himself not only in that profession, but excelling

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Angela Hartnett

One of Britain's most prestigious chefs and holder of a Michelin star, Angela Hartnett will be a familiar face to many due to her numerous appearances on a variety of TV cookery shows.

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Anna Haugh

Dublin-born chef Anna Haugh has worked in some of London’s top kitchens over the years and more recently has successfully opened her debut restaurant, establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

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Anne-Sophie Pic

France’s most famous female chef with eight Michelin Stars across five restaurants, Anne-Sophie Pic is a tour de force in the cooking industry.

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Asma Khan

Asma Khan is an Indian-born British chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. She owns and operates Darjeeling Express restaurant in London's Covent Garden and was profiled on the sixth season of hit Netflix show Chef's Table

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Ayo Adeyemi

After time spent at Taj Campton Place in San Francisco and the acclaimed Tippling Club in Singapore, Ayo Adeyemi has returned to the UK to lead the way for West African fine dining at Akoko.

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Chantelle Nicholson

Chantelle Nicholson grew up in New Zealand, and worked as a lawyer before a career in the kitchen beckoned. Now she is chef patron of Apricity - forward-thinking restaurant in Mayfair that puts great emphasis on sustainability and staff welfare

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Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth may not hog the headlines or television limelight, but she’s one of the most recognisable names in the restaurant industry and a trailblazer for gender equality in professional kitchens.

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Daniel Putz

Having cut his teeth at culinary institutions including The Ritz and Park Lane Hotel, Daniel Putz brings a wealth of classical training to his role as executive chef at The Milestone Hotel.

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David Taylor

David Taylor blends Nordic minimalism and great British produce to stunning effect at Grace & Savour, our number one restaurant in the UK for 2023.

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Delia Smith

Delia Smith is one of the most well known and influential household names in the British food world, with her simple no-nonsense approach to cooking making her a highly accessible role model for home cooks and chefs alike

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Erchen Chang

Erchen Chang has made a name for herself on London’s food scene, acting as head chef for cult restaurant group Bao and Taiwanese restaurant Xu.

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Gill Meller

Chef, food stylist and author Gill Meller has been Head Chef of River Cottage HQ for many years and has been working with the team there for more than a decade.

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Gordon Ramsay

Holder of seven Michelin stars currently, and having been awarded 16 overall throughout his career, Gordon Ramsay is undeniably one of the UK’s finest chefs.

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Gregg Wallace

Presenter of MasterChef, former greengrocer and writer for Good Food, Now and Olive, Gregg Wallace is a dominant presence in the culinary world

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Harvey Pertolla

Harvey Pertolla is a British chef famous for being one of the UK's youngest head chefs.

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Helene Darroze

Helene Darroze may be a French chef, but she has cemented herself into UK dining history with her two Michelin star eponymous restaurant at The Connaught hotel in Mayfair

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Heston Blumenthal

If you’ve made your way here, we’re guessing you already know who Heston Blumenthal is, but do you know details of the infamous chef’s life? Well known for his playful food and outspoken opinions, Heston is somewhat of a British icon, and here’s everything you need to know about him.

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Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall

With a focus on sustainable dining and animal welfare, chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s eco-friendly style of dining has helped him to become one of the UK’s best known faces

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James Cochran

Former Head Chef at The Ledbury and a contestant in 2018’s series of Great British menu, James Cochran now heads up 1251 restaurant in Islington.

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James Martin

James Martin is a pretty recognisable face, with the chef regularly gracing our screens. Here’s everything you need to know about him.

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Jeremy Lee

A fixture of London dining, Jeremy Lee's food is seasonal British cooking at it's very best, and his joyful expressionism has made restaurant Quo Vadis into a Soho icon.

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John Torode

John Torode acts as one of television’s leading chefs, being a presenter on MasterChef with co-host Gregg Wallace.

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Julie Lin

One of Scotland's brightest chefs, Julie Lin is the proud owner of two restaurants in Glasgow

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Juliet Sear

Baking expert, tv chef and food stylist Juliet Sear is a regular guest on ITV's This Morning. She is a best selling author and has baked for a host of celebrities including Prince Harry, Alexa Chung and many more.

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Lisa Goodwin-Allen

As head chef, then chef patron of Northcote restaurant in Lancashire, Lisa Goodwin-Allen has been a driving force for modern British food for nearly two decades

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Lorna McNee

Lorna McNee is a Scottish chef who heads up Michelin-starred Glasgow restaurant Cail Bruich. She also was a winner of popular televised cooking competition Great British Menu in 2019.

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Luke Selby

Career coming full circle, Chef Luke Selby is back where he started, except this time he’s looking down from the top.

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Marcus Wareing

Recognise Marcus from MasterChef? Here's everything you need to know about the celebrity chef.

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Mary Berry

Widely recognised as a queen of baking across the culinary world, Mary Berry remains a signature staple on the cooking scene.

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Michael Caines

Michael Caines is one of the UK’s most celebrated and respected chefs, currently overseeing hotel and restaurant Lympstone Manor in Exmouth.

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Michel Roux

Part of a dynasty of chefs who have without a doubt influenced modern gastronomy in a way few others can boast, Michel Roux’s life is a fascinating tale from beginning to end. Here’s everything you need to know about the celebrity chef.

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Michel Roux Jr.

Part of perhaps the most famous family of chefs in the history of UK restaurants, Michel Roux Jr followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle to become one of the most esteemed names in the business.

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Michelle Trusselle

Michelle Trusselle, semi-finalist of MasterChef: The Professionals, creates an elevated dining experience through her classical training and love for Caribbean flavours

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Nathan Outlaw

Regarded as one of the finest, if not the best, seafood chefs in the whole of Britain, Nathan Outlaw is renowned for working with the finest produce and treating it with the upmost care.

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Nieves Barragán Mohacho

Nieves Barragán Mohacho is a Spanish chef who held a Michelin star when she ran the kitchen at Barrafina. She has since achieved further critical acclaim with her debut solo restaurant Sabor, which opened in the autumn of 2017.

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Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson hardly needs an introduction, but if we were pushed to provide one we’d say she is the ultimate indulgent cook who brought a whole new style of sex appeal to food TV with her flirtatious manner.

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Nobu Matsuhisa

World renowned for his fusion cuisine and ‘Nobu’ range of restaurants, Nobuyuki Masuhisa has always been on the cutting edge of food.

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Paul Ainsworth

Paul Ainsworth is a Southampton born, London trained, Cornwall based chef that is challenging Rick Stein's dominion over Padstow

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Paul Hollywood

Paul Hollywood is a master baker with a long career as a head baker, he has since become famed as a judge on the Great British Bakeoff and spin-off shows as well as hosting his own solo shows on baking

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Peter Sanchez-Iglesias

Alongside brother Jonray, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias has helped put Bristol on the map with Michelin-starred restaurants Casamia and Paco Tapas. With high-rise London standout Decimo also in his stable, he's presiding over some of the UK's most exciting, innovative restaurants.

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Pip Lacey

Having decided to become a chef aged 27 after leaving a graphic design job, Pip Lacey has demonstrated that there's no such thing as being too late to the game in the restaurant industry, and now owns her own London restaurant.

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Prue Leith

It's a good thing Prue Leith's a baker, because her life is 'jam packed' with extraordinary ventures and achievements. A chef, baker, businesswoman, charity runner, educator, author, television personality, and a dame will Prue Leith perhaps go to space next? We're only left to wonder... read here to see what she has done in the past, not the future

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Rafael Cagali

Brazil-born Rafael Cagali honed his craft in London, Spain and Italy before opening Da Terra, and quickly jetting his way to two Michelin stars.

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Ravinder Bhogal

Ravinder Bhogal is an award-winning British chef and food writer, best known for her debut restaurant Jikoni in Marylebone. Bhogal has also appeared on several television shows and has released two cookbooks

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Richard Corrigan

Pioneer of Irish cuisine in the London restaurant scene, Richard Corrigan has worked his way from his local hotel kitchen, to maintaining a Michelin star for ten years, to owning three celebrated London restaurants

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Rick Stein

It might surprise you to know that Rick Stein’s name isn’t actually Rick. We cover that and more in our complete guide to the celebrity chef who instilled a love of Cornish cooking in us all.

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Roberta Hall-McCarron

Roberta Hall-McCarron's two Edinburgh restaurants are comfortably among the best in Scotland, blending precise, classy cooking and world-class Scottish produce

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Robin Gill

Part of an influential new-wave of London chefs, Robin Gill crashed onto the scene at The Dairy, and has evolved from chef to restaurateur with a portfolio of fantastic ventures around the capital.

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Ruth Hansom

For someone so young, it is remarkable how much Ruth Hansom has already achieved as a chef having worked at The Ritz when it achieved its first Michelin star, as well as making it to the 2020 Great British Menu final.

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Ruth Rogers

There are few restaurants more iconic than The River Café in London, and at its head is Ruth Rogers who set out to build a canteen of sorts yet ended up with one of the world’s best eateries. Here’s everything you need to know about the Michelin chef and her journey to the top.

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Sat Bains

Known for being outspoken and opinionated, Sat Bains is also revered as being one of the UK’s most talented chefs. Here we cover everything you need to know about this cooking maestro.

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Selin Kiazim

Chef Selin Kiazim is known for her unique style of cooking, combining traditional Turkish-Cypriot flavours with modern techniques. As well as owning and running her London restaurant Oklava, she also makes regular TV appearances, winning Great British Menu in 2017.

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Explore the best chefs

Coming up with a list of the most famous celebrity chefs in the UK isn’t too hard a job thanks to a handful of obvious choices. There’s Gordon Ramsay of course (the proud owner of no less than seven Michelin stars), and there’s also Jamie Oliver, whose prolific and popular writing has resulted in 23 bestselling books and an estimated fortune of over £200 million pounds. We could go on to include famous faces such as Angela Hartnett, Marcus Wareing, Heston Blumenthal and more... But you get the point.

What, then, of the lesser-known celebrity cooks? It might sound like an oxymoron, but we wanted our list of famous UK chefs to also reflect some of the most exciting new talent on the scene at the moment, people who might not yet be huge household names, but hold gravitas within ‘in the know’ circles.

On combining these two genres of UK celebrity chefs we think we’ve come up with the ultimate list of people to have on your radar if you’re a self-confessed foodie. Included on the individual profiles of our chosen famous chefs you’ll find a useful summary which explains their background and experience in some detail. Additionally, among other things we detail where you can find them on social media, any cookbooks they’ve written and list out their restaurants – so you can add their eateries to your to do list should you wish so.

Finally, our celebrity chef new section keeps you in the loop with all the latest news from these famous faces. We cover new restaurant openings, popular foodie TV shows, family news and more.

Our latest chef news

Celebrity chefs

The success of television series such as Masterchef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu show that we love watching both amateur and professional chefs at work. These programs have been a great way to showcase some of the UK’s best up and coming chefs, as well as a peek into the restaurants of more established celebrity chefs.

British chefs

We are lucky to have a host of magnificent chefs here in Britain and you can find out even more about them by exploring some of our chef profile pages. Find how to book into their latest restaurants, hunt down their favourite recipes and explore everything you ever wanted to know about your favourite British chef.