Ones to watch: The up-and-coming chefs to have on your radar

Here at SquareMeal, we’re all about shining a light on the best talent in the industry. And while the big names tend to get a lot of the spotlight, there are so many under-the-radar chefs that are just as worthy of a shoutout, if you ask us. Now, we’re not saying there isn’t a time and a place for your Michel Roux Jrs and Gordon Ramsays, but when there’s so much yet-to-be-realised talent making waves across the industry, we consider it our duty to put them on a pedestal.

What makes a chef ‘one to watch’ you ask? We’ve considered a mixture of things when curating this all-star line-up. Yes, you’ll find a couple of youngsters in here who are doing, quite frankly, unbelievable things for the few years they’ve been working in professional kitchens. But that’s not to say everyone in this list is below the age of 25. We’re championing the chefs that have worked tirelessly, day in and day out, to reach where they are today. Whether they’ve recently opened their first restaurant, are managing a prestigious kitchen team or have made it onto the British public’s television screens by way of MasterChef or Great British Menu, everyone in this list has a stellar CV to be proud of.

Whether they’re blowing up right now or are likely to become headline news over the next few years, these are the best and brightest chefs to have on your radar right now. If there is anyone missing from the list who you think is worthy of a special mention, you can always reach out to us on social media to let us know. We’re always keen to hear about new and rising stars in the industry. Simply pop us a message on Instagram or Twitter – we’d love to chat to you!

Ash Valenzuela-Heeger

Who is she? Winning the Michelin Young Chef Award for 2025 catapulted Ash into the limelight of the food world, where she was recognised for her ‘inventive and invigorating’ cooking at Birmingham restaurant Riverine Rabbit. The chef moved from South Africa to the UK with her wife Erin in 2020, leaving her own restaurant in Cape Town during the midst of the pandemic to set up shop in Brum. The pair spent a few months running pop-ups across the city, generating buzz and establishing themselves in its culinary landscape, before opening a permanent site for Riverine Rabbit in Stirchley, now the holder of a Bib Gourmand. Her cooking combines South African and Asian influences using British ingredients, bringing a style of cuisine that’s deeply exciting and totally unique to Birmingham.
Current role: Head chef and founder of Riverine Rabbit

Tom Hamblet

Who is he? Tom Hamblet has become synonymous with luxury hotel group Exclusive Collection as he continues to carve out an impressive career at one of its most prestigious restaurants. He was recently made head chef at Lainston House’s flagship restaurant, The Avenue, following a successful residency that ended up being extended an extra two months due to popular demand. Prior to that, he worked at South Lodge Hotel’s Camellia, a gig he landed after winning MasterChef: The Professionals 2023 at the tender age of 23. He’s now 25 years old, owns his own restaurant, and heads up an £125 eight-course tasting menu of refined, modern British dishes.
Current role: Head chef at The Avenue at Lainston House

April Lily Partridge

Who is she? This isn’t the first time SquareMeal has profiled April Lily Partridge. She was shortlisted as part of our Female Chef of the Year series in 2024 for her extraordinary achievements, including (but not limited to) being named Best Young Chef in the Observer Food Monthly Awards in 2014, coming third in the National Chef of the Year Awards twice, making her the highest-ranking female in history, and winning the Roux Scholarship in 2023, the second female chef ever to do so. April also occupied the role of sous chef at three Michelin-starred The Ledbury for four and a half years, working alongside and learning from the acclaimed Brett Graham, before stepping away from the restaurant at the end of 2024. Details about her next steps are scant, although she’s spoken in other interviews about wanting to open her own restaurant one day, so watch this space.
Current role: In between roles

Darcie Maher

Who is she? Baker-patron of world class Lannan Bakery in Edinburgh, Darcie is the hottest name in British baking right now. She first made a name for herself while working at The Palmerston in Edinburgh, where she was given license to experiment with her own inventive bakes and flavour combinations. Talks about her first solo venture came to the fore in 2023 when she and a powerhouse team launched Lannan in Stockbridge, quickly attaining cult status as punters queued out the door to try her perfectly laminated pastries and artisan sourdough. Follow Darcie on Instagram to get a flavour of some of her beautiful bakes, including Lannan's signature custard slice featuring creme fraiche and vanilla custard, blackcurrant and buttermilk icing, and spelt puff pastry. Or read all about her favourite bakeries in Britain here. 
Current role: Head pastry chef at Lannan

Tom Barnes

Who is he? There were early signs that Tom Barnes was set to experience stardom. He won the Roux Scholarship in 2014 at the age of 25, but not before he’d earned his stripes working at esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants including the then two-starred The Vineyard at Stockcross, and Phil Howard’s The Square. He also spent over six years at three Michelin-starred L’Enclume, working his way up to executive chef where he oversaw its menus, as well as at the more casual Rogan and Co. Last year, in 2024, the chef opened Skof in Manchester to great acclaim, becoming the highest new entry in SquareMeal's Top 100 UK Restaurants list and earning a Michelin star just a year after opening. If that isn’t evidence of his incredible talent, we don’t know what is.
Current role: Chef/owner of Skof

Matt Harris

Who is he? Now with multiple restaurants to his name, Matt Harris is often uttered in the same breath as cult fried chicken concept Other Side Fried, Wagyu burger bar Buster’s, and trendy restaurant and wine bar Ploussard in Battersea – three very different restaurants bound indubitably by their success. Matt and longtime friend Tommy Kempton opened their fried chicken joint in 2014, which eventually graduated to two bricks-and-mortar sites in Battersea and Brixton. They’ve since been replaced with two just-as-successful concepts: Ploussard, a Parisian bistro-inspired restaurant and wine bar where Matt is able to flex his more refined training, and Buster’s, a gourmet burger bar specialising in Wagyu beef burgers and natural wines. It seems that everything Matt touches turns to gold, so we’re keeping tabs on this one to see what he does next.
Current role: Head chef at Ploussard

Ella Williams

Who is she? Ella Williams is a name we expect to be hearing much more of over the next few years. You might have spied her on Instagram account TopJaw waxing lyrical about her favourite London restaurants – go watch that if you haven’t already. Her work ethic is something to be marveled at, bagging her first chef role at the age of 15, and later founding her own supper club Ode Sunday Supperclub in 2021, all while holding down a full-time kitchen job. She’s worked at Park Lane Hotel, Café Murano, Cinder, Mountain, and most recently Crispin by Studio Voltaire in Clapham. Now, you can find her cooking up a storm at creative Peckham venue Hausu, which specialises in modern European sharing plates, an exciting wine list and a hi fidelity sound system.
Current role: Sous chef at Hausu

Dara Klein

Who is she? Dara Klein is the chef and founder of Tiella, a Pugliese pop-up operation most recently found at Islington pub the Compton Arms. Having spent the early part of her childhood growing up in Emilia-Romagna, and with a Puglian mother, her cooking is strongly influenced by the flavours and traditions of southern Italy, with dishes on Tiella’s menu including the likes of crab and datterini bruschetta, tagliatelle with pork and orange ragu, and panelle (chickpea fritters) with salsa verde. The Kiwi chef (she later moved to New Zealand) has been praised for her soulful yet understated cooking, developed while working at some of London’s best restaurants including Trullo, Rubedo, Brawn and Sager + Wilde. While Tiella's residency has now ended, in a post on Instagram she shared that she’s slowly brainstorming a permanent home for the Italian concept – here’s hoping we hear more in 2025.
Current role: Founder of Tiella

Nokx Majozi

Who is she? Seven years ago, Nokx Majozi started working alongside former executive chef Calum Franklin at Holborn Dining Room’s iconic pie room. It marked a huge shift in her career, from professional kitchen to pie-making, and one that she's never looked back from. In 2022, following Calum’s departure from the restaurant, Nokx took over the reins entirely and now spends her days rustling up the restaurant’s popular beef Wellington amongst other pastry-clad delights, all within the dramatic surrounds of the Pie Room (its distinctive décor means it's often used for filming). Going back a bit further, Nokx came over to the UK in 2002 from South Africa, after which she held various positions at The Intercontinental Park Lane, The Landmark and Brown’s. Her big break came in 2014 when she landed a job at the Rosewood London. After a few years in the kitchen, she was invited to make pithiviers one day in the Pie Room and, well, you know the rest.
Current role: Head pie-maker at Holborn Dining Room

Drew Snaith

Who is he? Northampton-born chef Drew Snaith kick-started his career with a two-year stint at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons when he was just 16 - so, not a bad way to get your foot in the door. Upon moving to London, he worked at Brunswick House as sous chef before taking up his first head chef role at The Conduit where he focused on sustainability and eliminating single-use plastics. In November 2021, and at the tender age of 28 might we add, he bagged himself a head chef position at Hackney restaurant Pidgin, where he created a weekly-changing tasting menu which champions the best of British seasonal produce from small UK suppliers. Now Pidgin has sadly closed, but was quickly replaced by Snaith's very own restaurant SESTA which opened at the end of 2024. 
Current role: Head chef at SESTA

Adriana Cavita

Who is she? Born and raised in Mexico, Adriana Cavita’s food is a reflection of her love for the heritage of her home country. She landed her first job at the age of 17 working as an apprentice at Nicos in Mexico City, followed not long after by a full-time role at Pujol, both of which happen to be award-winning restaurants. She would later go on to work at the now-closed three Michelin-starred El Bulli in Spain. It’s a CV for the ages and, clearly, this chef has skill. It was Adriana’s travels across Mexico, though, that developed her understanding of the country’s cuisine and now informs her approach to her first and (so far) only restaurant Cavita. Opening in 2022 to widespread praise, her aim is to celebrate and honour Mexican food and culture through truly authentic dishes.
Current role: Head chef and founder of Cavita

Marcus Clayton

Who is he? 26-year-old Marcus Clayton took home the trophy at the S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition 2022-23, impressing high-profile judges Claude Bosi at Bibendum, Lisa Goodwin-Allen of Northcote, and Sally Abe of The Pem with a signature dish of celeriac, apple and mushroom. Marcus was previously the junior sous chef at Michelin-starred The Hide and Fox in Hythe, Kent, although now you can find him heading up the kitchen team at relaxed fine dining restaurant St Leonard's in West Malling, Kent. 
Current role: Head chef at St Leonard's

Nick Rudge

Who is he? North Wales born Nick Rudge opened his debut restaurant The Jackdaw in 2021, following a seven-year career at The Fat Duck. He started at the three Michelin-starred restaurant fresh out of college, where he completed a one-month stage placement before acquiring his first proper role as commis chef. At the time, Nick was the youngest member of staff the restaurant had ever employed, and he managed to climb the ranks over the years to junior sous chef. Covid was the beginning of a new leaf for Nick, when everyone was placed on furlough and he saw an opportunity to set up his own venture in his hometown: The Jackdaw at Home. It was a hit, and he's since opened his first bricks-and-mortar site in Conwy, which incidentally placed number 51 in our UK Top 100 Restaurants list. Not content with sitting still, his latest venture is The Nest, which offers a regularly changing lunch menu based around the same ethos as The Jackdaw - serving seasonal menus with Welsh pride. 
Current role: Proprietor and chef of The Jackdaw and The Nest

Charlotte Vincent

Who is she? Charlotte Vincent’s journey into food is an unlikely one. She actually spent nine years in the army before going to train with Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park in Devon. After spending many years as his pastry chef at Royal Clarence in Exeter, Charlotte made the decision to quit cheffing to study to be a scientist. She earned herself two degrees and a job at a drugs company in that time, but her love for cooking was still calling her name. After five years, she made another U-turn, quit her job and found a role working as a chef at The Five Bells in Clyst Hydon in 2019. Since then, she hasn’t looked back, although still uses many of the skills she learned from science (namely experimenting) in her dishes now. Although The Five Bells sadly had to close in 2022, she’s since gone on to lead the team at Hotel Meudon, and now occupies the role of head chef at Dartington's The White Hart. 
Current role: Head chef at The White Hart

Kerth Gumbs

Who is he? Kerth Gumbs is likely to already be on your radar, perhaps from seeing him on TV as a judge on the new series of Young MasterChef, or competing on Great British Menu back in 2020. These are all relatively new revelations for the chef though, who’s been working hard behind the scenes to make star TV appearances like these happen. Kerth grew up on a tiny island in the Caribbean where he first learned to cook by watching his mother. Although he originally wanted to be a professional athlete, food was always close to his heart, and he moved to the UK to study at Le Cordon Bleu, graduating in 2004. Following a two-year stint at Quaglino’s Brasserie, Kerth quickly gained priceless training at some of the top kitchens in the country: Tom Aikens' flagship restaurant, L’Atelier and Texture. He also spent time at Jason Atherton’s Esquina in Singapore, and more recently occupied the role of head chef at Ormer in Mayfair. Now, Kerth is busy managing the kitchen team at Fenchurch Restaurant at Sky Garden where he drawns on his classical French training to curate its modern British fine dining menus. 
Current role: Head chef at Fenchurch Restaurant

Julie Lin

Who is she? Half Scottish, half Malaysian, Julie Lin is one of Glasgow’s greatest chefs, and now we’re shining a light on her extraordinary talent to ensure she’s on the radar of the masses. Things really kicked off for the chef back in 2014 when she competed on MasterChef, an experience she describes as 'crazy, emotional, exhilarating and intense all at once' in our recent interview with Julie Lin. Making it to the quarter finals, she then spent time under the tutelage of Laurie McMillan at Café Strange Brew, before going on to head up the team at now-closed Babu Kitchen. She’s now the chef-patron of GaGa in Glasgow where she champions Malaysian street food amongst other South East Asian dishes. Julie's CV extends to pop-ups at London's Carousel and TV presenting too, just to keep her busy. 
Current role: Chef patron of GaGa

Johnnie Crowe

Who is he? Johnnie Crowe‘s name has cropped up a lot in the last year few years, not least because he’s the co-founder of one of London's most exciting restaurants. Johnnie, alongside old friends Luke Wasserman and Toby Neill, launched Restaurant St Barts over in Smithfields serving seasonal dishes from produce sourced across the British Isles. It also ranked number 31 in our Top 100 Restaurants in London, dazzling us from the get go. Johnnie is actually the executive chef at both St Barts and NEST in Hackney, another awesome restaurant from the same trio. Previously, he worked as a chef at Michelin-starred The Harwood Arms and acclaimed Angler, where he developed his passion for sustainability and British produce.
Current role: Executive chef and co-founder of Restaurant St Barts and NEST

Jamie Shears

Who is he? If you’ve eaten at Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair, you’ll know that Jamie Shears' food is something quite special. The restaurant opened to wide acclaim and still upholds that reputation, not least due to Jamie’s quite frankly sensational cooking. In fact, he heads up the entire food operation at Artfarm’s The Audley on Mount Street, which includes a more casual pub down stairs and the fine dining first-floor restaurant upstairs. Prior to that, he was executive chef at London's 45 Park Lane Hotel, and before that head chef at Fortnum & Mason’s 45 Jermyn Street. He’s also worked alongside some of the UK’s top chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and Chris Galvin. Starting as a chef in the British Army at age 16, a stint he describes as providing him with the skills needed to survive in a professional kitchen, there’s no doubting Shears' talent.
Current role: Executive chef at The Audley and Mount St. Restaurant

Kim Ratcharoen

Who is she? Kim Ratcharoen’s passion for food stems from her childhood spent cooking with her grandmother in Thailand. The realisation that cooking was something she wanted to pursue crystalised when she moved to London, where she balanced working in a Thai restaurant in Brighton with studying for a Hospitality degree at College (which she achieved with distinction, by the way). Knowing she wanted to delve deeper into the world of fine dining, Kim took up a position at 64 Degrees in Brighton, a fine start, before applying for an apprentice position at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. She’s worked there for nearly 10 years now, climbing the ranks from senior sous chef to head chef. Go check her out if you haven’t already.
Current role: Head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

For more top-quality food by some of the UK's leading chefs, take a look at our guide to every three Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK.