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.

After stepping away from the industry following the closure of Amethyst, Carlo Scotto’s return is one of the most powerful stories in modern British dining. With BEAR, his 14-seat counter restaurant in Beaconsfield, Scotto strips fine dining back to instinct, memory and landscape, cooking guided by foraging, travel and restraint. This is not a comeback built on noise, but on purpose. Carlo Scotto is The Knife’s Chef of the Year 2025.

Top UK sommelier Tom Fahey is rewriting everything you think you know about rosé. From oaked, Pinot-like bottles to aged, funky and crimson-dark styles, his immersive tastings at The Terrace are turning Ventnor into a wine destination. We talk myths, island food pairings and why wine really does taste better by the sea.

Two decades after starting out as a commis, Paul Green has returned to The Three Chimneys, now as Head Chef. Drawing on years under mentors like Martin Wishart and Michael Smith, he’s crafting dishes that honour Skye’s legendary shellfish, sustainable sourcing and simplicity over showmanship. This is a story of coming home, and of a restaurant deeply rooted in place.

At Hiraeth in Cardiff, chefs Lewis Dwyer and Andy Aston are building something heartfelt – part Japanese precision, part Welsh soul. From late-night menu ideas to home-grown produce and a vibe that’s pure Cardiff, the duo talk roots, rituals and redefining what modern Welsh dining looks like today in this exclusive interview with The Knife.

Five years on from opening in the eye of lockdown, Smoke & Salt has become one of South London’s most thoughtful neighbourhood restaurants. Chef Remi Williams reflects on memory-driven cooking, sustainability without slogans, and why “the ingredient always leads.”

Michelin starred chef Luke Selby is heading to North Wales to become Chef Partner at Palé Hall Hotel. Launching in early 2026, the partnership will see him reinvent the hotel’s dining scene, oversee its historic Bryntirion Inn, and champion Welsh produce and talent in a bold bid to place North Wales on the international culinary map.

At Gravetye Manor, Roux Scholar Martin Carabott transforms seasonal British produce into fine dining poetry. From garden beets with Oscietra caviar to deer cooked over juniper, his cooking celebrates balance, precision, and flavour born of time and place. The Knife sits down with the Gravetye chef redefining what it means to cook in season.

At Six Rooftop, Chef Greg Lambert is turning memories into menus. From seaside picnics to plant-based pasta perfection, Lambert’s dishes are as nostalgic as they are refined. In conversation with The Knife, Lambert talks storytelling, seasonality, and why his rooftop restaurant in Gateshead is more than just a pretty view – it's his culinary home.

Michelin starred Lumiere is Cheltenham’s worst-kept secret in the best possible way: a tiny dining room with huge intent, powered by a 3.5-acre garden, beehives and a four-day week. Co-owners Helen & Jon Howe talk to The Knife about ankle-break recovery, why honey madeleines tell a bigger story, mentoring tomorrow’s chefs – and how a Tequila Slammer became fine dining’s most joyful palate cleanser.

The Knife marks its 100th article with a story of bold returns and reinventions. From Scott Hallsworth’s cult pan-Asian Freak Scene popping up at 100 Wardour Street, to Mike Reid’s revival of the classic chop house at Liverpool Street, The Evolv Collection is reshaping London dining. Heritage, rebellion and innovation collide – and 2026 looks set to be their biggest year yet.

Joe Stark is redefining the drinks programme at Wild Shropshire with low-intervention wines, foraged ingredients, and zero-waste house ferments. From English fruit wines to award-winning alcohol-free pairings, he tells The Knife why the best drinks don’t mimic – they tell their own story.

Chef Mike Reid brings heritage and modern flair together at Liverpool Street Chop House & Tavern. In this exclusive Q&A with The Knife, he reveals how Victorian tradition, sustainable sourcing and playful twists are reshaping British hospitality for 2025.

After eight years at HIDE, Josh Angus has stepped up as Chef Director, leading three kitchens and 70 chefs across London. In this exclusive Knife Q&A, he shares how he’s making the role his own, from reinventing signature dishes to keeping London’s “best breakfast” at Michelin-starred standards.

At Edinbane Lodge on Skye, Calum Montgomery does more than cook – he forges stories from scallops, mutton, and sea air. In this exclusive interview for The Knife, the Chef of the Year shares how local legends, late-night lobster allocations and a “hot minger” shaped his culinary path. This is modern Scottish fine dining, rooted in heritage and fuelled by Skye’s wildest ingredients.

Michelin Green Star chef Mark McHugo isn’t just cooking with the seasons, he’s rewriting the rules of sustainable dining. From dock seed bread and fig leaf sorbet to gin-infused with wild meadowsweet, Chapters in Hay-on-Wye is as inventive as it is rooted in the land. In this exclusive conversation, he shares his kitchen philosophy, foraging favourites, and what’s next for one of Britain’s greenest restaurants.

No menu, no imports, no ego – just a chef, a regenerative farm, and a deep obsession with how a county truly tastes. At Wild Shropshire, James Sherwin is pioneering “ultra-terroir” dining with local eggs, garlic from down the lane, and vinegars that rival citrus. The Knife sat down with the Michelin Green star chef to talk ferments, flavour memory, and why pineapple weed might just be the new mango.

At Seasonality in Maidenhead, Chef Patron Wesley Smalley is proving that refined cooking doesn't need theatrics – just great ingredients, a biodynamic farm, and a clear sense of purpose. From parsnip ice cream to a 15-year-old fondant that never leaves the menu, this is a quietly confident take on modern British dining.