Famous British Chefs

Jamie Oliver is an English restaurateur and chef who gained international recognition after appearing on popular TV shows, such as Jamie's Kitchen and The Naked Chef. In 2005, his Feed Me Better campaign helped introduce several children to healthier foods. He also established a charity restaurant called Fifteen, which employs disadvantaged young people.

Paul Hollywood is an English television presenter and celebrity chef. Since 2010, he has been appearing as a judge on the popular television baking competition, The Great British Bake Off. Paul Hollywood is also a motor racer. He has competed in several tournaments, such as GT Cup. In 2017, he took part in a race at Circuit of the Americas.

A celebrated chef and restaurateur, British national Gordon Ramsay is also a writer and television personality. His TV shows about competitive cookery and food is quite popular. The Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in Chelsea, is his signature restaurant. Known for his bluntness, short temper and strict manner, Ramsay has historically expressed a dislike for vegetarianism and veganism.

Heston Blumenthal is a British celebrity chef whose unusual recipes, such as Scotch eggs and triple-cooked chips have been widely imitated. He is considered a pioneer of multi-sensory cooking and his scientific approach to cooking has earned him honorary degrees from several universities. In 2004, he won the prestigious Chef Award, joining the likes of Phil Howard and Gordon Ramsay.

Celebrity chef Rick Stein has managed the U.K.’s Stein Hotel and Restaurant with his first wife, Jill Stein. He later became the head chef and co-owner of Rick Stein at Bannisters in Australia, with his second wife, Sarah. He has authored cookbooks and presented culinary shows such as Seafood Odyssey.

Ainsley Harriott is an English television presenter, chef, and entertainer. He is known for presenting popular cooking shows, such as Ready Steady Cook and Can't Cook, Won't Cook. A multi-talented personality, Ainsley Harriott is also a best-selling author whose books have sold more than two million copies worldwide.  He is also known for his singing and comedy skills.

Named to the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World six times, actor Lisa Faulkner is best known for her roles in series such as Murder in Suburbia and EastEnders. She has also taught at a theater school and is a talented chef, having won Celebrity Masterchef and co-hosted other cookery shows.

British-South African chef and culinary expert Prue Leith had begun her career with a lunch-supplying business. She later launched her Michelin-starred restaurant Leith's in Notting Hill and a culinary school. Best known as a judge on The Great British Menu, she is also associated with various charitable initiatives.

Renowned British cook Rachel Khoo was born to a Malaysian Chinese father and an Austrian mother. Trained at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, she started her own restaurant at her small Belleville apartment. She later gained fame for her cookbook and her BBC series named The Little Paris Kitchen.

British chef James Martin initially gained fame with shows such as Ready Steady Cook and later hosted Saturday Kitchen for a decade. Apart from launching several restaurants, including a Michelin-starred one, he has also written food columns. He is an avid racing enthusiast and teaches at a cookery school, too.

Nadiya Hussain is a British TV chef, television presenter, and author. She is best known for winning the sixth series of The Great British Bake Off. Over the years Nadiya Hussain has become a household name in the UK by hosting shows like Nadiya's Family Favourites. In 2017, she was mentioned in Debrett's' 500 most influential people in the UK list.

Best known for his appearances on shows such as MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen, Gary Rhodes later also launched his own series, Rhodes Around Britain. He owned several restaurants in the UK and the Middle East. The celebrity chef shocked everyone with his untimely death at age 59 due to brain hemorrhage.

Born in England, Gary Mehigan, celebrated chef and restaurateur, received his initial training in prominent London hotels before moving to Melbourne, Australia. After heading several well-known restaurants there, he opened his own establishment and currently co-owns The Boathouse, located in Moonee Ponds. Concurrently, he can also be seen on televisions productions like MasterChef Australia and Far Flung with Gary Mehigan.

Delia Smith is an English TV presenter and cook best known for teaching the basic skills involved in cooking through her books and TV shows. One of the most popular celebrity chefs in England, Smith is widely regarded as an influential personality in the culinary world. She has also contributed as a columnist for major publications like the Evening Standard.

Celebrity chef Keith Floyd was known for his signature style of presenting, his impeccable dress sense, and his love for red wine. After quitting his initial military career, he took up petty jobs in bars and restaurants, and eventually made it big as a chef on BBC cookery shows.

Famous for dressing up in ballgowns and wearing heavy make-up while cooking up exotic dishes, celebrity chef Fanny Cradock initially co-wrote cookbooks and food columns with her husband Johnnie Cradock. She had married four times, and had committed bigamy twice. She was known for her signature husky voice and dramatic style.

Clarissa Dickson Wright was an English TV personality, celebrity cook, businesswoman, writer, and former barrister. Best remembered for appearing in the popular TV cooking program, Two Fat Ladies, along with Jennifer Paterson, Dickson Wright went on to become an important name in the culinary world. She also published several books and audio books pertaining to cooking.

Best known for hosting the River Cottage television series, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a well-known television personality, journalist, writer and chef. At first, he mulled about a career in wildlife conservation; but later switched to cooking, beginning his career as sous-chef de cuisine. Eventually he expanded his area of operation, hosting television productions, writing books, campaigning on food and environmental issues.

Simon Rimmer is an English celebrity chef and TV presenter best known for co-presenting the popular TV program Something for the Weekend along with Timothy Paul Lovejoy. Simon Rimmer has also appeared on other popular shows, such as This Morning and The Gadget Show.

Born in small village in eastern France, Raymond Blanc grew up enjoying farm-fresh food. Mostly a self-taught chef, he later launched the double-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Manoir. He has trained chefs such as David Goodridge and has appeared on shows like his own series, Food & Drink.

Jennifer Paterson was a British celebrity cook, television personality, actress, and author. She is best remembered for hosting the popular TV show Two Fat Ladies along with Clarissa Dickson Wright. She also contributed as a columnist for magazines like The Oldie and The Spectator.

Phil Vickery is an English celebrity chef best known for his association with This Morning in which he has been appearing as part of the show's This Morning Cook In segment since 2006. He is also known for appearing in Ready Steady Cook where he is called Phil Victory for having a high win record in the cooking game show.

Jason Atherton is an English restaurateur and chef whose restaurant Pollen Street Social, which is located in London, England, earned a Michelin Star in its opening year. Atherton has also served as the executive chef at Chef Gordon Ramsay's popular restaurant Maze. Over the years Jason Atherton has won several prestigious awards like Arena Magazine's Man of the Year.

Celebrity chef and cookbook author Antony Worrall Thompson initially took up a catering job in Essex, and then rose to become a head chef. He later launched several restaurants,including Ménage à Trois, which was Princess Diana’s favorite restaurant. He has also appeared on shows such as Food and Drink.

Elizabeth David was a British cookery writer who strongly influenced the resuscitation of home cookery with books and articles about traditional British dishes and European cuisines. She is credited with authoring the influential cookery book, A Book of Mediterranean Food. Her works have influenced several prominent chefs like Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Tom Parker Bowles, Prue Leith, and Terence Conran.

Tom Aikens is an English chef who helped French restaurant Pied à Terre earn two Michelin stars in 1997. He became the youngest chef to earn Michelin stars since 1990 when Harveys earned the stars under Marco Pierre White. In 2003, Tom Aikens opened his eponymous restaurant which earned two Michelin stars by 2008. However, the restaurant was closed in 2014.

British chef Brian Turner was a regular on the BBC2 show Ready Steady Cook and on Saturday Kitchen. He has served celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor. A lover of French cuisine and red wine, he earned his first Michelin star while working at the Capital Hotel.

Alan Yau is a British-Chinese restaurateur whose culinary work earned him the Outstanding Achievement in the Arts award at the 2019 Asian Awards. Yau is credited with founding the Wagamama restaurant chain. He is also credited with founding several ventures like Hakkasan and Yauatcha which were awarded a Michelin Star in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

Chef and cookbook author Rose Gray is best known for co-founding the Michelin-starred The River Café in London, with Ruth Rogers, her long-time collaborator, and for her series The Italian Kitchen. Before starting her cooking venture, she taught fine arts at a school. She had also opened a furniture business.

Matilda “Tilly” Ramsay, better known as celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s youngest daughter, has also gained fame with her own CBBC cookery and lifestyle show, Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch. The Children’s BAFTA-nominated culinary expert has also penned a cookbook and is a fairly well-known social-media influencer.

Better known as singer Dua Lipa’s former boyfriend, Isaac Carew is a chef-turned-model who is known for his website The Dirty Dishes. He initially helped his father in kitchens and later joined a culinary school. Spotted by an agent outside Selfridges, he later modeled for brands such as Moschino and Valentino.