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Ambition and Evolution: A conversation with Head Chef Simon Ulph, Rothay Manor
After helping The Stafford earn a Michelin star, Simon Ulph made an unexpected move: leaving London for the Lake District. Now at the helm of Rowan at Rothay Manor, he talks to The Knife about family, Cumbria’s extraordinary produce, lessons from some of Britain’s best kitchens and why he’s "not cooking for guides".

James Massoud
2 days ago5 min read


Check In, Dine Out: Monkey Island Estate, Bray
The Knife launches its new 'Check In, Dine Out' series at Monkey Island Estate, a private retreat on the Thames where modern British dining takes centre stage. From hand-dived scallops and riverside Champagne to afternoon tea beneath historic frescoes and charcuterie enjoyed aboard a private boat, this is a hotel with plenty of reasons to arrive hungry.

James Massoud
Sep 94 min read


From Royal Banquets to Family Tables: A conversation with Executive Head Chef Paul Reader, The Ickworth
Royal banquets, One Hyde Park and now one of Suffolk's grandest family hotels. The Ickworth's Executive Head Chef Paul Reader talks to The Knife about refined dining, brilliant local produce, getting children's menus right, the unseen work behind great hospitality, and why running a kitchen isn't so different from an F1 pit stop.

James Massoud
Sep 25 min read


Cabbages, Camping Stoves and Big Feastival: A conversation with Chef Proprietor / Founder Simon Rogan, L'Enclume
Simon Rogan is swapping L’Enclume for the festival field at Big Feastival over the August Bank Holiday. Ahead of his appearance at The Big Kitchen, he talks to The Knife about 900kg of cabbage, the festival dish he’d create, raiding Our Farm for camping supplies, supporting Tom Barnes and where you’ll find him once he’s officially off the clock.

James Massoud
Aug 273 min read


From Seed to Service: A conversation with Head Chef Liam Fitzpatrick, Our Farm
What happens when the chef gets as close to the soil as the stove? Our Farm Head Chef Liam Fitzpatrick talks to The Knife about cooking with nature, transforming harvest gluts into restaurant staples, his case for Britain’s underrated cabbage and the surprising fermented ingredient now used instead of lemon juice.

James Massoud
Aug 216 min read


Brunch Above London with Aqua Shard
Thirty-one floors above London, brunch comes with one of the capital's greatest distractions: the view. But Aqua Shard's latest menu is making a play for your attention too, moving from eggs, pancakes and Bellinis to Devon crab, Chalk Stream trout and a caramel custard tart worth saving room for. The Knife heads skywards to discover brunch beyond the skyline.

James Massoud
Aug 214 min read


Beyond the Plate: A conversation with Chef Scott Smith, Blank Plate Creative
Scott Smith has experienced the awards, acclaim and realities of running celebrated restaurants. Now, through Blank Plate Creative, the former Fhior and Norn chef is putting those lessons to work. He talks failure, restaurant economics, Scottish produce and why “a good dish can’t rescue a confused business.”

James Massoud
Aug 176 min read


The Knife Tries Galvin Bistrot & Bar's Taste of Summer
Oysters, burrata, Bayonne ham, homemade focaccia, grilled prawns, and more – all for £29. The Knife heads to Galvin Bistrot & Bar in Spitalfields to discover why the Galvin brothers' 'Taste of Summer' menu might be one of London's best-value feasts, plus a first look at its upcoming one-night-only collaboration with Judy Joo.

James Massoud
Aug 135 min read


Legacy Starts at Home: A conversation with Chef / Owner Daniel Rogan, AO
AO carries his children’s initials above the door, but Daniel Rogan is also putting his own name on Southampton’s dining future. Following a major refurbishment, the chef is in conversation with The Knife about family legacy, finding an identity beyond the Rogan surname, lessons from Marcus Wareing and why he wants young chefs to no longer feel they have to leave the city to succeed.

James Massoud
Aug 106 min read


England's Oldest Hotel, The Old Bell, Is Reinventing the Great British Country Escape
England's oldest hotel isn't living in the past. At The Old Bell in Malmesbury, more than 800 years of history meet bold interiors, two AA Rosette dining, garden-led British cooking and one of the Cotswolds' most characterful escapes. We explore why this historic hotel deserves a place on every food lover's travel list.

James Massoud
Aug 44 min read


Returning Home and Rewriting British Luxury: A conversation with Chef Patron Shaun Rankin, Grantley Hall
Chef Shaun Rankin has spent nearly two decades refining the art of British fine dining. Now back on home soil at Grantley Hall – and with a new cookbook capturing the journey – he reflects on memory, mastery and the Yorkshire terroir that shapes every dish on his Michelin starred menu.

James Massoud
Jul 284 min read


"Nature Should Always Dictate the Menu": A conversation with Executive Chef Jack Hazell, Restaurant Isca
"Nature should always dictate the menu." Restaurant Isca Executive Chef Jack Hazell joins The Knife to discuss cooking with the equinoxes, why British produce deserves centre stage, the challenge of letting nature lead the menu, and how ingredients growing just outside the kitchen are shaping one of Sussex's most exciting new restaurant openings.

James Massoud
Jul 275 min read


Cooking Northumberland from the Ground Up: A conversation with Chef / Owner Cal Byerley, Pine
Pine’s Cal Byerley discusses cooking from the Northumberland landscape, rediscovering his creativity, finding inspiration in overlooked ingredients and why sustainability’s restrictions make the restaurant’s food more ambitious – not less.

James Massoud
Jul 2112 min read


"We’re a pub that happens to serve exceptional food": A conversation with Executive Chef Joe Walker, Herts Pubs Company
“We’re a pub that happens to serve exceptional food.” Joe Walker has swapped fine dining and Europe’s fastest-growing food business for Britain’s high streets. In this conversation with The Knife, the new Executive Chef at Herts Pubs Company explains why nostalgia belongs on modern menus, why consistency matters more than ever, and how pubs can once again become the beating heart of their communities.

James Massoud
Jul 155 min read


London's Bluebird Rediscovers Its British Identity
Almost 30 years after Sir Terence Conran first imagined Bluebird as a London ‘gastrodrome’, the iconic restaurant is rediscovering its British identity. Michelin-starred Miller Prada and Executive Head Chef Owen Sullivan lead a new menu where Marmite tart, railway mutton curry and Bloody Mary steak tartare give British classics a modern edge.

James Massoud
Jul 144 min read


Old Pulteney: A journey to the edge of Scotland
To celebrate its 200th anniversary, Old Pulteney has unveiled the oldest whisky in its history: a remarkable 50 Year Old, alongside a new 30 Year Old expression. The Knife travelled to Wick for an unforgettable two-day journey through Scotland's Maritime Malt, discovering why the sea, the people and 200 years of patience are present in every remarkable sip.

James Massoud
Jul 24 min read


Why Robin Read Finally Opened His Own Restaurant: A conversation with Chef-Owner Robin Read, The Counter
After 16 years running kitchens across the Firmdale Hotel Group, Robin Read could have stayed exactly where he was. Instead, he walked away to open The Counter in Tunbridge Wells. In this candid conversation with The Knife, he reflects on Michelin starred mentors, the realities of opening a restaurant in today's climate, family influences, and why his biggest regret is not taking the leap sooner.

James Massoud
Jun 156 min read


"I'm Not Really a Fan of Nostalgia and Storytelling": A conversation with Head Chef Chris Archer, Pentonbridge Inn
"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.

James Massoud
Jun 35 min read


Inside Scotland’s Most Personal Michelin Starred Restaurant: A conversation with Head Chef Tom Tsappis, Killiecrankie House
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…

James Massoud
May 287 min read


Building Berkshire’s Next Big Dining Destination: A conversation with Head Chef Dom Chapman, The Jack O'Newbury
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.

James Massoud
May 255 min read
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