27 Celebrity Chefs UK the World Loves to Watch
Many of the most popular celebrity chefs in the UK have become household names. These world-renowned cooks not only bring fantastic flavours and dishes to their kitchens, but often share an infectious enthusiasm that has viewers glued to their television sets trying to copy their recipes.
People are drawn to celebrity chefs from the UK for a number of reasons. One of the most common reasons is that many of them come from interesting backgrounds. For example, some have worked in Michelin starred restaurants, while others have been self-taught or learned cooking skills through family recipes passed down over generations.
In this article, we highlight some of the most famous chefs that hail from the UK.
List of Super Famous TV & Celebrity Chefs from the UK
Many of these celebrity chefs are incredibly talented and provide viewers with incredible step-by-step instructions to recreate their dishes. Here’s our top list of chefs you need to see!
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon is one of the most renowned celebrity chefs in the UK. He has starred on numerous television shows, including his own Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef. His passion for cooking and culinary excellence is unmatched, as evidenced by his multiple Michelin stars awarded to his restaurants around the world.
Aiden Byrne
Aiden is a passionate chef who has cooked for many high profile people throughout his career. Having worked in several London restaurants and been named Chef of the Year in 1995, he now runs Manchester House restaurant which has become an iconic success story since its opening in 2013.
Ainsley Harriott
Ainsley started out as a TV presenter before becoming well known for hosting Ready Steady Cook. His unique brand of cooking has made him hugely popular and he is well known for his catchphrase “Let’s get ready to rumble!” He also produces a range of TV cookery shows, including Ainsley’s Barbecue Bible and Caribbean Food Made Easy.
Alan Yau
Alan is an award-winning chef who has gained international fame with his restaurants in London and Hong Kong. His trademark style of fusion cuisine blends traditional Chinese cooking with modern European culinary techniques. His Hakkasan restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2001, making it the first ever Chinese restaurant to receive such an honour.
Heston Blumenthal
Heston is one of Britain’s most innovative chefs. He is well known for his scientific approach to cooking, using techniques from food chemistry and molecular gastronomy to create unique dishes. He has been awarded three Michelin stars at The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, Berkshire.
Anne Willan
Anne is an accomplished chef, author and teacher whose work spans over five decades. She is a founder of the prestigious La Varenne Cooking School in France and she has written many successful cookbooks including her classic The Cookbook Library series.
Antony Worrall Thompson
Antony is one of Britain’s best-known celebrity chefs who rose to fame with his television show Ready Steady Cook as well as appearances on This Morning, Saturday Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook. He has released several cookbooks as well as presenting live cooking demonstrations and judging on MasterChef.
Ching He Huang
Ching is a popular Chinese-American chef who has been featured in numerous television shows, such as Ching’s Kitchen and Chinese Food Made Easy. She also produces her own range of sauces and products, which are available worldwide. Ching is renowned for her fresh approach to cooking traditional Chinese dishes with a modern twist.
Clarissa Dickson Wright
Clarissa is an author, television personality, campaigner and advocate for rural life in the UK. She rose to fame by appearing alongside Jennifer Paterson on Two Fat Ladies before going on to host Clarissa & the Countryman and her own series Clarissa’s Italian Family Feasts.
Jamie Oliver
Jamie is a household name in the UK, having achieved fame through his television shows The Naked Chef and Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals. He has since gone on to open restaurants around the world, publish numerous cookbooks and campaigns for healthier food options in schools.
Danny Boome
Danny is an American-born chef who has become well known for his BBC TV show Restaurant in our Living Room as well as appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Lorraine. He also hosts cooking classes at various locations around London and produces his own range of sauces, spices and condiments.
Delia Smith
Delia is one of Britain’s most beloved celebrity cooks, having gained her fame through various television series such as Delia Smith’s Cookery Course and How To Cook. Her cookbooks have sold more than 21 million copies and she is known for making complex culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
Elizabeth Craig
Elizabeth was a renowned food writer who wrote books on both British and French cuisine throughout the twentieth century. She has been credited with introducing new ingredients and flavours to the UK, such as cinnamon, turmeric and dill, which were not widely available in Britain at the time.
Fanny Cradock
Fanny was an English author, chef and broadcaster who was best known for hosting numerous TV cookery shows in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Fanny Cradock Invites and Dinner Party. She was known for her flamboyant style of cooking which often featured elaborate presentations, unusual ingredients and inventive recipes.
Galton Blackiston
Galton is a celebrity chef who has gained fame through his appearances on Great British Menu, Saturday Kitchen and numerous other television programmes. He is best known for his work at Morston Hall, where he serves modern European cuisine with a focus on locally produced seasonal ingredients.
Gary Rhodes
Gary is an English celebrity chef who rose to fame in the early 1990s through his various television series such as Masterchef, Cookery Year and Rhodes Around Britain. He is renowned for his modern British cuisine, particularly his signature “Rhodes” dishes which often feature traditional British ingredients with an innovative twist.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Hugh is a celebrity chef and campaigner who has become well known for his television series River Cottage and Hugh’s Fish Fight. He is also the author of a number of best-selling books, such as The River Cottage Cookbook and The River Cottage Meat Book.
Ian Parmenter
Ian is an English celebrity chef who gained fame in the 1980s through his popular BBC show Ian Parmenter’s Kitchen Club. He has since gone on to host various other programmes, such as Cooking in the Country and Saturday Kitchen.
James Barber
James is a celebrity chef who gained fame through his BBC show The Urban Peasant, which ran for over 200 episodes. He is known for his focus on using fresh, local ingredients and creating simple yet delicious meals.
Jane Asher
Jane is an English actress and former wife of Paul McCartney who has become well known as a celebrity cook. She has written numerous cookbooks, including Jane Asher’s Party Cakes, Jane Asher’s Baking with Children and Jane Asher’s Cake Decorating Book.
Jason Atherton
Jason is an award-winning Michelin-starred chef who has gained fame through his TV shows Iron Chef UK and The Great British Menu, as well as his various restaurants around the world. He is known for his modern European cuisine which often features locally sourced ingredients.
Jennifer Paterson
Jennifer was an English celebrity cook who rose to fame through her BBC show Two Fat Ladies. She was known for her outspoken personality, distinctive style of cooking and use of unusual ingredients in her recipes.
Jenny Bristow
Jenny is a Northern Irish entertainer and author who gained popularity through hosting several BBC programmes such as Jenny’s Country Kitchen and Jenny Goes To Town. She is best known for her simple but delicious dishes which feature traditional local produce.
John Torode
John is an Australian celebrity chef and television presenter who rose to fame through hosting Masterchef, MasterChef: The Professionals and John & Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen. He is known for his modern Australian cooking style which often features Asian influences.
Johnnie Cradock
Johnnie was the husband of Fanny Cradock and a well-known cookery writer in his own right. He was best known for writing the book A Dictionary of Cookery Terms, as well as his appearances on The Big Breakfast show with Fanny.
Keith Floyd
Keith was an English author, journalist and television chef who gained fame through his series Floyd on Fish, Floyd on Food and Keith Floyd’s Gastronomic Tour of France. He was known for his wild and eccentric style, as well as his innovative use of ingredients in his recipes.
Kevin Woodford
Kevin is an English author, television chef and restaurateur who rose to fame through hosting the series Ready Steady Cook and guest appearances on Saturday Kitchen. His passion for fresh local produce shines through in his creative takes on traditional British dishes.
Ranking the Top Celebrity Chefs from the UK and Beyond
When it comes to why there is such a love for celebrity chefs from the UK, they just have a way of creating an inviting atmosphere through their shows.
Whether it’s through witty banter between themselves and other guests or engaging stories about how they got into cooking, viewers can’t help but become captivated by every detail of each show.
This intimate relationship they cultivate with their audience is one of the reasons why people love watching celebrity chefs from the UK so much.