Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White was born in a small town near Leeds in 1961. Since his grandfather and his father were both chefs and his mother was a great cook, it was no surprise that his first job at 16 was in a kitchen. He began his training in the kitchen at the Hotel St George in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and later at the Box Tree in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Marco moved to London and to a couple of restaurants boasting two Michelin Stars each. At Le Gavroche, run by Albert Roux, Marco began his classical training as a commis chef before joining Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire. Raymond Blanc encouraged Marco to pursue his own passions and philosophy about food. At 24, Marco became Head Chef and joint owner of Harveys with a kitchen staff that included the young Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal. He was awarded his third Michelin Star at the age of 33 - the first British and youngest chef ever to achieve this. His restaurant empire has included some of London's finest restaurants including the Criterion, Mirabelle, L'Escargot, Quo Vadis and Luciano.