Friday 5^th & Saturday 6^thNovember 2021

Marco Pierre-White is one of the most influential British chefs of his generation.

One of the most influential British chefs of his generation, Leeds-born Marco Pierre White moved to London at 19, with just seven pounds in his pocket. After training under Albert and Michel Roux at the world-famous Le Gavroche, he worked with other culinary luminaries, including Raymond Blanc, before opening his own restaurant, Harveys, at the age of 24.

By the time he was 33 and working at his second restaurant - the Restaurant Marco Pierre White in London's Hyde Park Hotel - Marco had become the very first British chef and, at the time, the youngest chef worldwide to win three coveted Michelin star awards.

After leaving school without any qualifications, Marco discovered his love for classical cookery while working at Harrogate's Hotel St George and The Box Tree in Ilkley.

Following his move to London, the teenage Marco honed his bold culinary style, first as a commis chef at Le Gavroche and then at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir. But his modern British cooking was also rooted in classical techniques, which when combined with the best ingredients, brought something exceptional to the table and quickly got him noticed.

Marco was just 24 when he opened his own restaurant, Harveys in Wandsworth Common, where he won his first Michelin star within the first year of opening, then his second just one year later. During his time as Head Chef at Harveys, Marco also trained and mentored some of the UK's most notable chefs, including Mario Batali, Gordon Ramsay and Shannon Bennett, as well as fellow Signature Food Festival 2021 guest chef, Phil Howard.

Marco opened his second restaurant, the Hyde Park Hotel's Restaurant Marco Pierre White, where his dishes such as tagliatelle with oysters and caviar not only garnered acclaim but also his third Michelin star in 1995.

However, just four years later, Marco decided to hang up his head chef whites for good and retired from the professional kitchen.

As famous for his fiery, passionate temperament throughout his chef career as for his innovative British cooking, Marco subsequently carved out a highly successful TV career. In 2007 he hosted ITV's Hell's Kitchen before filming his own series, Marco's Great British Feast. He has also featured as a judge on MasterChef Australia.

He has also written numerous books, including his biography, White Slave and his best-selling gastronomy book, White Heat.

Now a successful businessman, Marco remains a restaurateur with franchises and hotels around the UK, including Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, Bar and Grill restaurant chain and the Rudlow Arms Hotel in Wiltshire. He also owns The English House restaurant in Singapore.

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