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MEET THE CHEFS

Raymond Blanc

When he came over from France in 1972 Raymond Blanc started modestly as a waiter in a pub in Oxford. He is now recognised as one of the world’s finest chefs and holds two Michelin stars at the highly acclaimed Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. He believes in "good food being central to good living", has been a long standing supporter of the organic movement and ambassador to the Real Food Festival since its beginning.

Giorgio Locatelli
Considered by many to be one of the best Italian chefs in the UK Giorgio Locatelli’s Michelin stared Locanda Locatelli serves traditional Italian dishes, emphasising the quality and freshness of the produce, as well as adding his own personal creative spirit.

Valentina Harris

Valentina Harris is the host of the Chefs Theatre.

Valentina Harris is one of the country’s leading authorities of Italian Cuisine and gastronomy. As a most prolific writer, Valentina has won awards from far and wide on the subject of cibo e cucina.

Lawrence Dallaglio
The Former captain of the English national Rugby team is now drawing on his northern Italian roots and together with his father, Vincenzo, has been developing some old family recipes which they have produced with Salcà, the family business famous for their premium quality pasta sauces.

Willie Harcourt-Cooze

The eccentric Willie Wonka of Channel 4’s ‘Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory’. From his cocoa farm in Venezuela, Willie continues to pursue his 15 year dream to introduce high quality ‘real’ chocolate to the British public, rather than the common overly sweetened milk-chocolate ‘confectionary’, as well as promoting the use of cocoa as a versatile cooking ingredient.


Clodagh McKenna

Clodagh trained as a chef at the renowned Ballymaloe cookery school before working at Ballymaloe House for three years. She has since gone on to be a writer, presenter, designer, lecturer, consultant spokesperson, and driving force behind the development of Farmers’ Markets in Ireland. She has also found the time to design her own range of beautiful 1950’s inspired aprons which you will be able to find at the Real Food Festival.

Thomasina Miers
Like Clodagh McKenna, Tommi also attended Ballymasloe Cookery School before going to Mexico and starting an ongoing love affair with the country. After winning Masterchef she then made a couple of programmes including A Cooks Tour of Spain, a wonderfully evocative food travelogue. She opened the successful Wahaca restaurant in Covent Garden soon after with a second now in Westfield, offering authentic Mexican street food.

Ollie Rowe

At Konstam, his restaurant in King’s Cross, Ollie Rowe has set himself the great challenge of attempting to source as many ingredients from within the M25 as possible. The fantastic quality and standard of the food is in no way limited and what he is able to achieve with this apparently restrictive and rather extreme local sourcing policy, is remarkable. A truly urban chef.

Ashley Palmer-Watts
Ashley joined Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck in Bray, in 1999, which had been open for four years and had just received its first Michelin star. An integral part of the team saw Ashley achieve sous chef of the Fat Duck within 2 years and head chef in 2003. His inherent artistic eye for detail coupled with a formidable enthusiasm for research and creativity, has seen him accomplish, side by side with Heston Blumenthal, the historic British and multisensory dishes served at the Fat Duck today.

Cyrus Todiwalla
Described by Harpers & Queens as a “Chef of Genius” Cyrus is also a passionate campaigner for sustainability and buying British -Café Spice Namaste list of green awards includes two ‘Environmental Best Practice’ awards, The Green Point Award and most recently was Highly Commended in The Sustainable Food category of the Sustainable City Awards 2009. Cyrus has also recently been awarded an OBE by the Queen. Renowned for its innovative and fresh Indian cuisine, Café Spice Namasté is one of the most highly awarded Indian restaurants in the UK today.

Nic Watt

Born in Sydney, Nick was drawn to Japan and Japanese food by his strong passion for quality seafood. He is now head-chef at London’s ROKA which in 2005, less than a year after it opened, was awarded Best Oriental Restaurant creating some of the finest modern Japanese food in the capitol.

Andrew Parkinson

Andrew Parkinson is executive head chef of Fifteen London where his breadth of experience is now used in the development of Fifteen restaurants worldwide. He has also written a book Cutting it Fine, a book detailing his rise through the ranks and the running of a professional kitchen.

Carlo Cracco

One of the most highly regarded Italian chefs of today, known for his innovative style of blending various influences with classic Italian cuisine. In the past he has worked with Alain Ducasse and Gualtiero Marchesi, before opening his own restaurant Ristorante Cracco which holds 2 Michelin Stars and was voted Restaurant Magazine’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”

Richard Bertinet
Originally from Brittany in North West France, Richard trained as a baker both in Brittany and at the Grand Moulin de Paris. He has previously worked as head chef at the Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest and the Silver Plough at Pitton in Salisbury where in 1990 he was awarded Egon Ronay, Pub of the Year and American Express Magazine, UK Pub of the Year.
Richard now runs The Bertinet Kitchen, a cookery school in Bath which, among many other accolades, recently awarded the South West Tourism Excellence Award for Best Tourism Experience 2008/9 and continues to champion the value of ‘real’ bread.

Jun Tanaka
Critically acclaimed Executive Chef, Jun Tanaka has headed up the kitchen at Pearl since its opening in June 2004, a time during which he has gained an excellent reputation for his modern French cuisine. Having started at Le Gavroche at the tender age of 19, Jun spent the next ten years working with some of London’s top culinary talent in seven Michelin starred restaurants, where he perfected the art of fine French cuisine. Jun has worked and trained at Chez Nico, The Capital and The Square as well as having worked under Marco Pierre White at both The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and The Oak Room. Jun uses the very best seasonal ingredients, with simple premise to enhance flavour rather than over complicate, bringing out natural flavours and fresh, distinct tastes.


Santiago Guerrero
Santiago Guerrero is from Madrid and has trained both in Spain and England working in Michelin starred restaurants including El Celler de Can Roca, Hacienda Benazuza, the Castle Hotel and The Waterside Inn. A rising talent of authentic Spanish cuisine, before joining Iberica Food and Culture he worked as the Executive Sous-chef and acting Head Chef at London's Melia White House’s L’Albufera restaurant, voted best Spanish restaurant outside Spain by the Ministerio de Agricultura Caza y Pesca of Spain.