"I’m not really a fan of nostalgia and storytelling in restaurants." It’s not something you hear often from a Michelin starred chef. In this candid conversation, Chris Archer discusses rural ambition, the pressure of retaining a Michelin star, why warmth matters more than polish, and the philosophy that’s helped turn Pentonbridge Inn into one of Cumbria’s most compelling dining destinations.

A former FX broker turned Michelin starred chef, Tom Tsappis has quietly transformed Killiecrankie House into one of Britain’s most compelling destination restaurants. After receiving its first Michelin star this year, he speaks to The Knife about Japanese influences on Scottish produce, building a 12-seat restaurant in the Highlands, why “forced formality” has no place in hospitality, and the relief of finally hearing Killiecrankie House called in Dublin…

A former roadside pub. A four-year transformation. And a chef no longer interested in cooking for ego. In this candid conversation with The Knife, Michelin starred chef Dom Chapman reveals why The Jack O’Newbury could become Berkshire’s most exciting new dining destination, blending British classics, sustainability, relaxed hospitality and a genuine sense of community in one ambitious new opening.

From frying fish in his family’s Coventry chip shop to leading one of the Midlands’ most exciting kitchens, Leo Kattou’s journey has been anything but conventional. In this conversation with The Knife, The Bower House head chef opens up about Michelin pressure, rediscovering Cyprus, building healthy kitchen culture and why the true sound of a great restaurant isn’t silence…

Hammersmith is quietly becoming one of London’s most exciting seafood destinations. From iconic Thames-side institutions and oyster-led pub terraces to sustainable British seafood restaurants and Mediterranean-inspired cellar dining, West London’s riverside neighbourhood is redefining what seafood dining in the capital can look like. Here’s where to book now.

Every celebrity chef from last year asked to return. That alone tells you something about Stranraer Oyster Festival. Now, with Sam Heughan joining Matt Tebbutt, Tony Singh and Rosemary Shrager for 2026, Scotland’s wildest and most unexpected food festival is becoming one of the UK’s defining culinary weekends, all built around 23 million native oysters beneath the waters of Loch Ryan.

From carving Herdwick sheep out of slate as a schoolboy to cooking them for kings, Ryan Blackburn’s story is inseparable from Cumbria itself. At the Old Stamp House and The Schelly, his menus are shaped by farmers, coastlines and centuries of food heritage. This is a chef letting ingredients – and the land they come from – do the talking

A 17th-century pub on the Oxfordshire-Northamptonshire border might not sound like a quiet revolution, but The White Horse in King’s Sutton is exactly that. Blending serious, seasonal cooking with the ease of a true village local, this is a place where wood-fired pizzas sit comfortably alongside AA Rosette dining, and where the modern British pub finds its most confident, compelling form.

Peter McKenna has never lacked ambition, but his latest chapter may be the most personal yet. After closing The Gannet, the chef has re-emerged with Eleven Fifty Five – a stylish Finnieston bistro where aged Irish beef, leek vinaigrette and the buzz of a packed dining room matter more than ceremony. This is a story of reinvention, instinct and cooking without rulebooks.

“If I didn’t do this now, I’m not sure I ever would.” Chef Orry Shand speaks candidly to The Knife about opening his first independent restaurant, blending Scottish ingredients with Nordic inspiration, the lessons of Andrew Fairlie, and why Royal Deeside deserves a serious dining destination.

Often called the capital of the Cotswolds, Cirencester is known for its Roman history and honey-coloured streets — but its food scene deserves just as much attention. From farm-to-fork dining in Cirencester Park to Neapolitan pizza, artisan cafés and historic coaching inns, discover the restaurants helping shape this charming Cotswolds town.

Chef Allister Barsby has quietly built one of Britain’s most exciting restaurants at Hide and Fox in Saltwood. In this interview with The Knife, the two-Michelin star chef discusses seasonality, the influence of mentor Michael Caines, building tasting menus that evolve with the seasons, and why exceptional dining can flourish far beyond the big cities.

MasterChef: The Professionals winner Alex Webb opens Orion in Wimbledon Village – a French-inspired, British seafood-led restaurant rooted in seasonality, storytelling and Michelin-level craft. Warm, personal and quietly ambitious, it’s a neighbourhood opening that already feels like a destination.

At Edinburgh’s intimate Michelin starred Condita, Chef Tyler King is crafting tasting menus built on Scotland’s exceptional produce, bold flavours and a larder rich in ferments and preserves. In this conversation with The Knife, he reveals how unexpected flavour pairings, global techniques and close chef-to-guest interaction shape one of the city’s most distinctive dining experiences.

At Rogan & Co, Tom Reeves is championing a style of cooking that’s confident, ingredient-led and quietly precise. Drawing on produce from Simon Rogan’s farm just down the road, the Michelin starred chef shares how simplicity, preservation and a deep respect for flavour shape the menu, and why the dishes that look the most understated often take the most work.

Fresh from a major Cateys win, The Loch & the Tyne in Old Windsor is having a moment. Adam Handling’s countryside gastropub blends zero-waste thinking, serious cooking and laid-back hospitality. Proof that the future of British dining might just live in the pub.

From reviving a 17th-century village pub to earning a Michelin star, Kevin Tickle has built Heft as an extension of Cumbria itself. In this interview with The Knife, he talks about being "hefted" to the land, sourcing with integrity, the power of food communities over competition, and why the Lake District’s dining scene continues to go from strength to strength.

From 14-cover precision at Solstice to sun-lit Mediterranean plates high above London, Kenny Atkinson is entering a new chapter. In this interview, the Michelin starred chef talks identity, sourcing, pacing, leadership and what changes (and what doesn’t) when you take a deeply personal cooking style from Newcastle to the capital.

Mallory Court has always been elegant, but in 2025, it feels newly assured. With the opening of Stu Deeley’s modern British restaurant, The Warwick, the Warwickshire hotel enters a confident new chapter defined by seasonality, craft and quiet excellence. From kitchen-garden produce to nostalgic desserts done properly, this is why Mallory Court is crowned The Knife’s Hotel of the Year.

Fresh langoustines landed on the pier. Oysters farmed just along the loch. A dining room where wetsuited paddleboarders lunch beside Bentley owners. In this exclusive interview, Scotland’s Chef of the Year Michael Leathley reveals how life on Loch Linnhe shapes his cooking at The Pierhouse, why simplicity leaves nowhere to hide, and how hospitality, sustainability and community are inseparable on Scotland’s west coast.