Whether they are global celebrities or fly under-the-radar, the UK’s most beloved culinary icons and rising influencers drive the appetites of the English food chain.
In collaboration with world-famous food critic Andy Hayler, Elite Traveler takes a look at the most influential Chefs of the past and next decade from the UK.
Nicknamed “The Michelin Man”, Andy Hayler has reportedly eaten at every three Michelin star restaurant in the world, and is well placed to judge the world’s most influential chefs.
Take a look at our selection of masterminds that have changed the way we eat forever, or are set to make a large impact on the culinary scene in the UK and beyond.
Most influential chefs of the past decade
Simon Rogan
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L’Enclume in Cumbria is home to Simon Rogan’s unusual combination of technical innovation married to high quality local produce, much of it grown on or near the property. He has a major influence on contemporary British cooking.
Stephen Harris
Self-taught chef Stephen Harris has a deep knowledge of food history and has carbed out a worldwide reputation from his ramshackle Seasalter pub, serving the most ultra-local of cuisine.
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Ashley Palmer Watts
The former head chef of the Fat Duck runs the hugely successful Dinner by Heston in London. He is known globally for his modern reinterpretation of historical English dishes.
Ashley Palmer-Watts has been in the restaurant business since he was just 13 years old, rising to the ranks of Head Chef at The Fat Duck within four years.
Nathan Outlaw
The ever-humble Nathan Outlaw’s reputation is inextricably tied to the seafood of the Cornish coast, where his two Michelin star restaurant and other ventures are crowd pleasers and a testament to the virtues of culinary simplicity.
Brett Graham
Within a year of opening The Ledbury in London’s trendy Notting Hill, Australian Brett Graham was awarded a Michelin star. Five years later he received a second Michelin star. With the unassuming Aussie at the helm, The Ledbury has quietly gone from strength to strength. After only 13 years after opening, the restaurant came tenth in the Elite Traveler Top 100 Restaurants in the World. Graham has gained an international reputation for his modern interpretation of British cooking.
Most influential chefs of the next decade
Tom Kemble
Tom Kemble worked at Faviken and Hedone before taking up the head chef position at Bonhams, gaining a well deserved Michelin star almost immediately for his technically precise and above all enjoyable dishes.
Graeme Cheevers
Head chef at Martin Wishart’s outpost at Cameron House at just 23 years old, this young chef has maturity beyond his years, and talent and determination in abundance that has already gained him a Michelin star.
Mikael Jonsson
Lawyer turned chef Mikael Jonsson earned a Michelin star in his first year at Hedone in west London. His obsessive ingredients-driven approach and uncompressing attitude to quality is making culinary waves well beyond the UK.
Clare Smyth
Clare Smyth gained three Michelin stars running Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, and in 2017 will strike out on her own in west London. There has not been a more awaited restaurant opening in the capital for years.
Elizabeth Allen
Elizabeth Allen worked her way around some serious kitchens and gained a Michelin star at her first head chef role in Pidgin in east London. She has already moved on to a new project, and her star seems sure to rise further.
