Whether heading up a kitchen or opening their debut restaurant, this year’s shortlist of super-talented chefs are set for even greater things.
Tom Booton, The Grill at The Dorchester
An undeniable top chef in the making, Tom Booton became the youngest chef to head up the kitchen at The Grill at The Dorchester in London when he was given the role in 2019 at the age of just 26. In his time at the restaurant he has made his mark with his innovative cooking style marking a fresh chapter in the restaurant’s history.
Santiago Lastra, KOL
When it opened briefly between lockdowns, Santiago Lastra’s ambitious Mexican restaurant Kol turned heads for its approach of using mostly British ingredients cooked in traditional Mexican ways. The Mexican-born, former Noma consultant chef hasn’t had a chance to really show off his culinary prowess on these shores, but once he does we anticipate a successful future.
Harriet Mansell, Robin Wylde
West Country-born chef Harriet Mansell is making waves in Devon with her debut restaurant Robin Wylde in Lyme Regis, which opened last year and shines a light on the region’s local ingredients. Such is her success that she is now following it up with a low-intervention wine bar nearby called Lilac. Before going permanent, Robin Wylde operated as a pop-up in Lyme and was a sell-out for its entire six-month residency, which is no doubt a sign of things to come.
Shannon Johnson, Hicce
27-year-old Shannon Johnson worked for three years at Murano under Angela Hartnett before joining Pip Lacey’s debut solo venture Hicce in Coal Drops Yard, where she is head chef overseeing a modern British menu with a focus on wood-fired cooking. She represented the central region on Great British Menu 2021.
Jay Morjaria, JAE
Jay Morjaria secured a £500,000 investment on TV programme Million Pound Menu, but has instead continued working as a chef consultant. His most recent project, JAE at Untitled in London, has impressed with critic Jay Rayner praising his ‘seriously punchy Korean cooking’. As tenacious as he is skilled, there’s plenty more to come from this chef restaurateur.
Anna Tobias, Café Deco
Anna Tobias has a strong cooking pedigree having worked at some of the capital’s most influential chefs and restaurants, including The River Cafe, Blueprint Cafe and Rochelle Canteen and her debut restaurant in Bloomsbury, called Cafe Deco, sees her team up with the team behind 40 Malty Street. As it emerges properly from lockdown, Cafe Deco looks like it will follow in the footsteps of Tobia’s mentors and become a London institution.
Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng
The pair behind popular nomadic pop up TĀ TĀ Eatery and katsu sando-focused concept Tóu have already made their mark on the capital with their show-stopping food, and now they’ve been drafted in to help relaunch Taiwanese chicken joint Mr Ji as a full-service restaurant. Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng aren’t afraid to play with interesting flavour combinations and try out new things, which makes what they are doing with Mr Ji, as well as any future projects, particularly exciting.
Andy Beynon, Behind
Andy Beynon’s intimate fish-focused restaurant really impressed Michelin’s inspectors, with the Hackney restaurant being awarded a star after only a few weeks of trading. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise given Beynon’s pedigree, however, having worked with the likes of culinary giants Jason Atherton, Michael Wignall, Claude Bosi, and Phil Howard. Now out on his own, he’s already on his way to following in the footsteps of his mentors.
Sven-Hanson Britt, Oxeye
MasterChef the Professionals finalist Sven-Hanson Britt has long-held plans to open Oxeye in Derbyshire that follows his farm to table approach. The Coronavirus hasn’t helped in his endeavours, but his dream to open one of the most exciting restaurants in the UK remains intact. In the meantime, late last year he joined forces with Tris Hillier and Scott Ward to launch Homestead on Leamouth Peninsula in Docklands.
Chet Sharma, Bibi
With a PhD in Physics from the University of Oxford under his belt, Chet Sharma is a culinary force to be reckoned with. The 33-year-old has already played a key role in some of the world’s top kitchens – including Moor Hall, L’Enclume and Spain’s Mugaritz – and is now teaming up with former employer JKS Restaurants to open Bibi, a restaurant in Mayfair that is looking to break the mould of Indian fine dining in the capital.
Roberta Hall, The Little Chartroom
The chef-patron at The Little Chartroom has made a name for herself at her bijou Edinburgh restaurant and didn’t let lockdown get in her way, with a successful pivot to open Little Chartroom on the Prom. There’s likely to be more to come from her this year as well as her reputation grows – helped by the fact that she was also recently crowned the winner the fish course in the finals of this year’s Great British Menu.
