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Claire Ptak is an American pastry chef, formerly at legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in California. She moved to London in 2005, and founded Violet Cakes, making delicious American-style cakes and treats made with seasonal, natural and organic ingredients. She began with a stall at Broadway Market then, in 2010, opened Violet, her acclaimed bakery and café in Hackney. Claire is also a food stylist and the author of three cookbooks: Leon: Baking & Puddings, The Whoopie Pie Book, and The Home-Made Sweet Shop.

Previously head chef at Zuma, a role for which he was headhunted in 2007, Ross Shonhan opened Bone Daddies ramen bar in Soho at the end of 2012. Born and raised on his family’s cattle farm in Queensland, Australia, Ross grew up with an innate appreciation of natural produce and quality cooking. He served his apprenticeship in the tough kitchens of some of Brisbane’s top European and Asian restaurants, where he first learnt about Japanese cuisine and seafood. In 2001, he moved to London, where he worked at Asia de Cuba and the Dorchester. In the USA, he learnt all about Mexican cuisine and BBQ, before becoming head chef at Nobu Dallas in 2005.

After four years as pastry chef at St John Bread & Wine London, Lillie O’Brien embarked on a career as a full-time jam maker, aka London Borough of Jam, fearlessly combining the traditional and the unconventional. She produces her seasonal jams in small batches using copper pans in Hackney, London.

Keith Cooke, aka Cookie, started out doing the drinks at friends’ parties, and went on to work on events in the UK and abroad. He arrived on the doorstep of Viajante in Bethnal Green in 2011, and has created, as well as served, some superb cocktails for his East London and international clientele.

Carl Brown started bartending in his home town of Bury St Edmunds, then, following a stint under mixologist Mickael Perron, he went to work for Hilton Worldwide, latterly at the Waldorf Astoria. He later joined the Gorgeous Group, who introduced him to Dishoom, where he has developed drinks including the Bombay Pimm’s and the Naughty Gola Ices from the summer 2011 pop-up, Chowpatty Beach, plus the menu at the Permit Room in Dishoom Shoreditch.

Jesse Dunford-Wood is chef at the Mall Tavern in Notting Hill, where he cooks colourful, seasonal, nostalgic British food. He previously worked with Rowley Leigh, Mark Hix and Michael Caines, and opened the National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery in 2006 with Oliver Peyton. He has also done stints with Charlie Trotter in Chicago, and Mark Best in Sydney. He recently opened Parlour in Kensal Green.

Born in northeastern France, Sébastien Gaudard is a second-generation pâtissier who came to Paris in the early 1990s, working under Pierre Hermé at Fauchon, and succeeding him in 1996. In 2003 he launched Délicabar in Bon Marché and, at the end of 2011, opened his own pâtisserie on the Rue des Martyrs, reviving one of the oldest cake shops in Paris.

Drinks maestro at The Connaught

Lee Potter Cavanagh is group bar manager for Hix restaurants. He previously worked at some of Australia’s top bars, including the Victoria Room, Lotus, Hemmesphere and The Rum Diaries. Winner of many awards, Lee has presented at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, hosted the annual Australia-wide bartender competition Coney Island Bartender Bumfight, and been appointed Australia’s ambassador for punch by a rum brand from Nicaragua.

Luca Missaglia is from Milan, Italy. He always knew he wanted to work in the hospitality business, and decided on bartending as a vocation following his experience of the exceptional service in some of the glamorous cocktail bars of his native city. He came to London in 2008 and, in 2011, after a stint at LAB Bar (London Academy of Bartenders), Luca joined Quo Vadis, the legendary restaurant, bar and private members’ club in Soho. Luca is particularly proud to work for Quo Vadis, as it was opened in 1926 by fellow Italian Pepino Leoni and, prior to that, was home to one of Europe’s greatest philosophers and revolutionary socialists, Karl Marx.

Head bartender at the new Clove Club, James Hickson was previously head barman at St John, and also worked on the openings of Great Queen Street and the Canton Arms. He has worked in New York and, more recently, at Moro and Morito in Clerkenwell.

Juliet Kinsman is editor-in-chief of boutique hotel guide Mr & Mrs Smith. Her travel and interiors articles have appeared in titles from Condé Nast Traveller to the Financial Times. Among her favourite locales are her childhood home of NYC, and her London neighbourhood, Kensal Green, which she celebrates on her blog, Park Life. She is a connoisseur of coffee, cheap-chic cottages and compound adjectives; if she were given a pound for every chic hotel she’d written about polysyllabically she’d be able to buy her own hip hideaway.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Scully, as he is known by all, started his culinary career at the age of 17 in Sydney, Australia. Now head chef at Yotam Ottolenghi’s stylish restaurant NOPI in North Piccadilly, Scully first worked under Yotam back in 2004 at Ottolenghi, which has four sites across London. His international CV includes the Bathers’ Pavilion and Restaurant Balzac in Sydney, and Correa’s Restaurant in Moscow.

After leaving university with a language degree, Emilie joined ad agency Ogilvy & Mather in London. Secretly harbouring a desire to improve the nations brew, Emilie bored colleagues, friends and family with her dream of setting up a tea company to solve her eternal frustration of not being able to get a decent cuppa. In 2012, Emilie finally took the plunge, quitting her job and launched Good & Proper Tea. The rest they say…

Chris Pople writes the restaurant blog Cheese and Biscuits, named runner-up best blog in the Observer Food Monthly Awards, and one of the top 10 best blogs in the world by The Times. When he’s not out eating somewhere, he writes for various print and online media, usually about either cheese or burgers. He has been named one of London’s 1,000 most influential people by the Evening Standard.

Johnny and Daniel, who own The Clove Club in Shoreditch, along with chef Isaac McHale, went to the same nursery school aged four, worked together at Manchester pizzeria Croma after university, and joined the same band when they were 26. They started their own band and moved to London in 2008, where they’ve been throwing parties as Chopshop and supperclubs as Clove Club ever since, all the while working at restaurants including Great Queen Street, St John Bread & Wine, and St John Hotel. Following a series of seriously good pop-ups, they opened Upstairs at the Ten Bells in 2011. The Clove Club will be their second restaurant.

Entering catering to fund a degree in English literature, Peter Weeden never looked back. After stints at Quaglinos and Coq D’Argent he is now head chef at Newman Street Tavern, focusing heavily on provenance and seasonality.

Felicity Cloake writes the weekly ‘How to Make the Perfect…’ column for The Guardian, and the New Statesman’s food column. Her first book, Perfect: 68 Essential Recipes for Every Cook’s Repertoire was published in 2011, swiftly followed by an ebook, Perfect Christmas Day. Her next, Perfect Host: 155 Easy Recipes for Feeding People and Having Fun will be out next spring. She lives in London with four extremely well-fed housemates.

Older and wiser than he looks, Alastair has worked in the bar industry for 17 years. He cut his teeth in high-street student bars, serving bottles of Bud to the masses, then lucked out in 2006 with a job bartending in New York, at the world-famous Pegu Club. Returning to the UK in 2008, he worked at Quo Vadis club and Milk & Honey, before going it alone with Happiness Forgets in Hoxton Square.

A native of Extremadura, José Pizarro has lived in the UK for 14 years and worked at some of London’s most prestigious Spanish restaurants, including Eyre Brothers and Brindisa. In May 2011 he opened his first solo venture, José in Bermondsey, winning hearts and critical acclaim. Then in November came Pizarro, just down the road. José has published two books: Seasonal Spanish Food and, in 2012, Spanish Flavours. 

Wright Brothers started in 2002 as a two-man family business delivering oysters to London restaurants. In 2005, co-founders and brothers-in-law Ben Wright and Robin Hancock took over the lease of the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm, and opened Wright Brothers Oyster & Porter House in Borough. The Ferryboat Inn followed in 2009, on the waterfront at Helford Passage. In November 2010 Robin and Ben opened their second London restaurant, Wright Brothers Soho Oyster House, offering only the freshest fish and shellfish from sustainable stocks. Wright Brothers also supply London’s leading restaurants with oysters and seafood.

Geoff Robinson fell into bartending as a means of paying his university tuition. He fell harder than he expected, and has remained locked into the industry ever since. After helping to open an award-winning cocktail bar in his native Vancouver, he ventured out to do some travelling. He ended up in London, working at ECC Chinatown. Following his stint there, he took up the bar manager position at Happiness Forgets in Hoxton Square, a small basement cocktail bar that has since been accorded some acclaim, including being named 12th best bar in the world by Drinks International.

Greg Malouf was the executive chef at MoMo restaurant (Melbourne) for 12 years, where he delighted diners with flavours of his Middle Eastern heritage. With his former wife Lucy Malouf, Greg has written six cookbooks, each widely acclaimed for showcasing traditional ingredients and regional dishes. In spring/summer 2012, Greg acted as consultant head chef at Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond, and retained the restaurant’s Michelin star.

Martin Morales moved to England from Peru when he was 11 years old. A former Apple, Disney and EMI executive, he decided to follow his heart and set up Ceviche in March 2012, bringing authentic Peruvian cuisine to the heart of Soho. Martin also runs Tiger’s Milk Records, the restaurant’s record label. In 2013, Martin wil publish a Ceviche book, and a open a second restaurant.

After dropping out of a tiny liberal arts college in New England and travelling the world, Canadian-born Englishman Adrian Moore found himself working in the luxury hotel industry as a glorified dogsbody. Named top concierge by Monocle, ‘Paris’ Hottest Food Blogger’ by Woman’s Wear Daily, and ‘Paris’ Bad Boy blogger’ by Newsweek/Budget Travel, Adrian balances his life between his day job as concierge at one of Paris’ top luxury hotels, writing freelance for international magazines, guides and websites, and sucking the marrow from the bones of the City of Light.

Uyen Luu is a writer, photographer, food and prop stylist, consultant on Vietnamese food, and a very good cook. She trained in fine art film and video at Central St Martins, and later designed and retailed clothing and jewellery for her own boutique in Soho. She runs supperclubs in her Hackney home, and writes and blogs about food, recipes and travel; she is currently writing a Vietnamese cook book.

Justin Piers Gellatly is head baker at St John Bakery. He began working with Fergus Henderson behind the stoves at St John in 2000, but moved across to the pastry section before long, and became head baker for the group. He is co-author of Beyond Nose to Tail and The Complete Nose To Tail, and the creator of those doughnuts.

New Zealander Miles Kirby is Caravan’s co-owner, executive chef and head roaster. He began his career in Wellington, before moving to the Netherlands and then London, where he became head chef at the Providores and Tapa Room in 2001. In 2010, Miles opened Caravan on Exmouth Market: a restaurant, bar and coffee roastery. Caravan’s second site opened in August 2012 in the Granary Building, King’s Cross, where Miles’ nomadic leanings are evident in his signature, seasonal menus of ‘food well-travelled’.

Tim Williams is director of operations at Workshop Coffee, formerly known as ST ALi. He came to work in food as a student, finding his part-time job in a market more interesting than his degree in political science. He worked in a number of the excellent coffee establishments in Melbourne, then moved to London in 2006, joining the team at Flat White in Soho, before helping to rebrand Climpson & Sons. Following stints cooking at the Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell, and working in coffee in LA, Tim spent a year at Square Mile Coffee Roasters before joining what is now Workshop Coffee Co, dedicated to sourcing, roasting and serving the best coffee possible.

Before opening Dabbous with Ollie Dabbous in 2012, Oskar Kinberg was bar manager at the Cuckoo Club in Piccadilly, starting there as head barman when it opened in 2005. In 2007, Oskar won the London Spice Cocktail Competition, and then two golds and a silver medal at the 2010 Cocktail Challenge. He has taught mixology courses for the London Bar School, and hosted cocktail training sessions for various companies. He is often approached by drinks companies to create cocktails for them, including Bombay Sapphire gin for the Dusk Bar at Somerset House.

Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Anna first trained as a chef under Fergus Henderson in 1992 at the French House Dining Room. In 2001, Anna, Peter Gordon and partners opened the award-winning Marylebone restaurant, the Providores; Anna left in 2005 to develop the Modern Pantry, which opened its doors in August 2008. In 2012 she was awarded an MBE in HM the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

Ed Smith left his job as a City lawyer one year ago. He retrained as a chef at Westminster Kingsway, and now cooks, writes and consults for a living. His food blog www.rocketandsquash.com features both restaurant reviews and recipes.

Perth native Dave has done stints at Noma, Extebarri and the Loft Project, and last summer delighted Londoners with his Burnt Enz dancehall and barbecue at Climpson and Sons roastery.

Londoner Gabriel Pryce, head chef and co-founder of Rita’s Bar and Dining, spent five years at film school, then ran into old friend Jackson Boxer back at home, and was taken under the wing of Mat Williams, then head chef at Brunswick House Café. In 2012, he set about creating something new with Jackson and old friends Missy Flynn and Real Gold’s Deano Jo, and Rita’s was born.

Growing up in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother in Spain’s Basque region, gave Nieves a gronding in Spanish cooking.

Joining Fino in 2003 as a sous chef, she had taken over the kitchen within the space of four years. In 2008, Nieves became executive head chef overseeing the kitchens of both Barrafina and Fino.

Born and raised in Lisbon, Nuno Mendes has dedicated his life to exploring and cooking. His experience spans from his culinary training in San Francisco to working with some of the world’s leading chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, in New York and London. In addition to opening Bacchus in 2006, Nuno is known for setting up and developing the Loft Project. Following on from this, in 2010 he opened Viajante at Town Hall Hotel. Set in the urban landscape of Bethnal Green, the restaurant has received widespread recognition from critics, as well as a Michelin star.

Rowley Leigh, chef proprietor of Le Café Anglais, is one of the founding fathers of modern British cooking. After Cambridge University, he tried his hand at farming and novel writing before falling into cooking ‘almost by accident’ in 1977. Following a couple of years at Joe Allen restaurant, he went to work with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche in 1979. In 1984 he took over their prestigious Le Poulbot restaurant as head chef, then opened his own Kensington Place restaurant in 1987; its blend of brilliant food and informal and buzzy atmosphere set the pattern for London restaurants in the 1990s. In the same decade, Rowley began a career as a cookery writer, winning the prestigious Glenfiddich award three times with The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph and the Financial Times. He remains cookery correspondent of the FT. His much-acclaimed book, No Place Like Home, was published in 2001. He left Kensington Place in December 2006 to open Le Café Anglais in 2007.

Phil Usher, group pastry chef for Caprice Holdings, has been creating delectable desserts for 34, the Ivy, Scott’s, J Sheekey and Daphne’s for the past 14 years. He works closely with an army of pastry chefs – at Christmas, they collectively bake 10,000 mince pies for their customers. In 1997, Phil won the Academy for Culinary Arts Award for Excellence and, as an Academician, he sits on the panel of judges for this annual event.

Denis Broci has presided over the Claridge’s Bar for the past 5 years. After working at at numerous London restaurant bars including Maze and Brian Turner Mayfair, Denis now manages a team of 12 and trains both staff and hotel guest in the art of mixology.

Tony Conigliaro is not only acknowledged as a ground-breaking drinks creator, but also as one of the most respected bartenders in the UK, opening and running some of the best bars in London. He studied fine art and art history for five years, then worked in fashion prior to his involvement in drinks, and credits a broad spectrum of influences, from chefs and perfumers to scientists and designers. In 2012 he opened Le Coq in Paris, and published a book called, simply, Drinks (Ebury).

Rosie Birkett is a food writer and journalist who writes about chefs, restaurants, food and travel for The Guardian, The Independent, Stylist, Metro and Olive. Rosie has contributed to various cookbooks, including Nigel Haworth’s Obsession; and Phaidon’s new Where Chefs Eat. She is currently EasyJet Traveller’s intrepid food columnist, blogs at alotonherplate.com, and Tweets as @rosiefoodie. Based in Brixton, she travels the world to taste and report on different cuisines, recently specialising in America.

Born and raised in Finland, Miisa graduated with a business degree in international marketing an area in which she worked, before joining leading European design and branding agency Design Bridge Ltd in London. In 2008 Miisa invested in the Nordic Bakery after visiting the store and realising it’s potential. Since then, Miika has been integral to developing the brand, opening the new location in Marylebone and writing the Nordic Bakery Cookbook.

Life partners and business partners, Outsider Tart owners David Muniz and David Lesniak started baking for fun when they arrived in London in 2005, then decided to set up a stall at their local farmers’ market in Richmond in 2007. They delved into archives of family recipes, not only their own but also from families across America, before opening their characterful Chiswick bakery. They don’t stick to any baking rules – rather, the two Davids experiment and create their own unique methods for baking. Blue Plate, their soul food joint, is opening next door to Outsider Tart this winter.

Giorgio Ravelli is the head chef of Upstairs at the Ten Bells. He grew up in his father’s restaurant on Lake Maggiore in Locarno, moving to neighbouring Lugano for a three-year chef apprenticeship, followed by a year at Michelin-starred La Table d’Edgard in Lausanne. Since then Giorgio has worked at the Ledbury in London, Berlin’s VAU, and Cellier Morel in Montpellier. Returning to London, he became head chef at Upstairs at the Ten Bells in June 2012.

Born in Sweden to Greek parents, George’s career started at the tender age of 16. After joining Hakkasan in 2001, with a brief spell running his own bar in Lisbon, he returned to the fold in 2007. George is now the groups senior bar manager across Europe and the Middle East and was recently voted Best London bartender.

With backgrounds in theatre and photography, Nick and Ian met in 1999 whilst project managing the re-development of the Wapping Hydraulic Power station. In 2003 the idea for Melrose and Morgan was born and they set about creating a grocery shop and kitchen providing the finest artisan products alongside their own branded product lines and cookery books. Their brand combines the maiden names of both their mothers and the clean, contemporary aesthetic carries through to their gloriously styled shops and packaging.

Paul A Young is a groundbreaking and inspirational chocolatier at the forefront of the British chocolate scene. Training as a chef before moving into the world of chocolate, Paul has a passion for his craft and a cutting-edge creativity that have won him many awards and seen him ranked amongst the world’s best chocolatiers. Paul now has three chocolateries in London, including his flagship store on Wardour Street in Soho.