• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Truly Experiences Blog

For People Who Collect Memories, Not Things

  • Food & Drink
  • Gifts
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Things To Do
Blog » Dining & Restaurants » Famous Chefs » Up-and-comers: Britain’s Exciting New Generation of Chefs

Up-and-comers: Britain’s Exciting New Generation of Chefs

With so many of Britain’s role model chefs in their mid-to-late 40s, one has to wonder where the next new generation of chefs will emerge from. Gordon Ramsay alone endures so many verbal battles he must have shaven off at least a few years from his career. Fortunately however, it looks like the future of British cuisine will be studded with fresh and interesting new characters.

The Top 3

Isaac McHale

@itsisaac
The Clove Club has recently earned itself what some see as a ‘controversial’ Michelin star, though the quality of the food there would suggest it’s anything but a surprise. Isaac McHale, 34, previously cooked for The Ledbury and Noma, but has also been under the wing of René Rezepi prior to his duties at Shoreditch’s trendiest new restaurant.

clove club

credit: Ewan Munro

Ollie Dabbous

Definitely a potential household name, Ollie Dabbous is the other side of a gulf of young chefs hoping to kick start their reputations. Now 33, Dabbous has a stellar restaurant named after him, written and published a cookbook, and often appears next to the likes of Brett Graham, Isaac McHale, and Tom Sellers as the new chefs creating exciting food everyone simply has to try.

Ollie Dabbous

Tom Sellers

@tomsstory
He might only be 27, but Tom Sellers has already achieved many of the things some of his older peers are yet to accomplish. He is head chef of his own establishment, Restaurant Story, which gained its first Michelin star a mere five months after opening. Deemed London’s answer to the Fat Duck, Story pairs British cuisine with ‘edible stories’ such as the Three Bears’ Porridge.

  Meghan Boledovich: This is the Life (of an Urban Forager)

Tom Sellers

Ones To Watch

Florence Knight

@FlorenceKnight
Florence Knight is cooking’s new ‘golden girl’ on the brink of becoming a culinary queen. Now head chef for Soho’s Polpetto, her career formerly kicked off when she was just 19 and followed with periods at the Diamond Club and Arsenal FC before she was plucked by Polpetto in 2010. Her signature dish – cod soaked in water for days before it’s poached in milk and onions and then hand-beaten – is perhaps even more impressive than her CV.

Luke Selby

@lucas_selby
The three Selby brothers are certainly an auspicious bunch, and just might end up forming a dominating family business in years to come. Chief among them though is 23-year old Luke, who beat all competition for the Young National Chef of the Year this year. Three of the finalists, Luke one of them, were at the time working in Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons kitchen. Perhaps that’s a testament to the value of an apprenticeship under Raymond Blanc.

Robert Mcleary

@RobertMcleary
Robert Mcleary is firmly established as the Head Chef of the ‘bib gourmand’ restaurant The Modern Pantry. His partnership with Anna Hansen has flourished since Rob was 22, and while he might have something of a promising start to his career with an earlier stint at Jake Watkins’ Michelin-starred JSW in Hampshire, there’s reason to suggest it will only get better. He is one of the best new generation of chefs.

Georgina Dent

Georgina embarked on her career in the kitchen when she was just 15, and made it to Nathan Outlaw’s kitchen in Cornwall when she was 17. Now at Hartnett’s Murano, Dent was The Observer’s best young chef last year. A sturdy character and possibly the most driven individual on the list, all these aspects certainly make her one of the young British chefs to watch. She is one of the best new generation of chefs.

  Fabulous Christmas Recipes From Chefs We Know (and Love)

Ben Champkin

@Champkin7792
Having fully earned himself a place in Simon Rogan’s L’enclume establishment, Ben Champkin’s crowning achievement so far was his win of 2013’s Young National Chef of the Year. Champkin received the recognition from his time at The Elephant Restaurant Torquay. Given that he has only reached 21 years of age and is cooking alongside one of Britain’s most revered chefs, it’s quite a prospect to consider his best years are ahead of him. He is one of the best new generation of chefs.

Rae Oliver March 25, 2023

Footer

  • Truly Experiences
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Affiliate Disclosure

We believe in being as transparent as possible when it comes to this site. With this in mind, please be aware that we may receive remuneration for some of the products we review on this site.

Truly Experiences is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk (and other Amazon programs).

We will also list ads from time to time. You should be able to see these as text links or blocks of ads which have a small notation indicating “Ads by Google” or “AdChoices”.

Our mission is to help our visitors, but this is also very clearly a for-profit site and you should realize as much. We include only those products that we believe could benefit you, some of which we may get a commission if you purchase them. However, we also provide links on the site to information resources for which we receive no compensation.

If you have any questions whatsoever, please contact us using the "contact" option on the site menu and we will be happy to answer any questions.

Trademark Dislosure

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

In addition, any other trademarks and logos we mention on this site are also the property of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2023 Truly Experiences