Newly crowned Chef of the Year, Ayesha Kalaji opens up about identity, imposter syndrome, Jordanian heritage and the Glastonbury community behind Queen of Cups. Honest, funny and fiercely personal, this is a chef at the height of her powers, still surprised by the spotlight, but utterly certain of her voice.

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 Patrick Guilbaud to Pollen Street Social and back home to Dublin, Library Street's Kevin Burke reflects on building a restaurant rooted in pure flavour, team culture and a city he says is "seriously cool". With The Knife, Kevin talks about Michelin pressure, coddle cravings, and why stripping a dish back is often the hardest – and most rewarding – move.

Chef Daniel Watkins is rethinking tofu at Holy Carrot. In collaboration with organic Japanese brand Clearspring, he’s created a limited-edition Koji Flatbread that showcases the ingredient’s creamy texture and versatility. In this interview with The Knife, Watkins talks traceability, technique and why tofu’s future in modern plant-based cooking is only just beginning.

After a decade abroad, Kevin O’Donnell returned to Dublin from 2 Michelin starred Kadeau to open Comet with his wife, Laura. In this candid interview with The Knife, he talks about creative risk, Bastible’s backing, the pressure of early Michelin hype, homesickness in an airport departure lounge, and why sometimes the most beautiful thing in the kitchen is simply peeling carrots.

At just 26, Francesco Sarvonio is quietly redefining modern Italian cooking in London. At Casa Felicia in Queen’s Park, the Naples-born chef cooks with restraint, clarity and soul, where semolina and water become a statement, dry-aged fish is handled with reverence, and tradition is interpreted, not performed. Less noise, more identity. This is Italian food that listens.

From a hidden Paddington basement to a bold new Shoreditch opening, Meet Bros is quietly reshaping what a modern halal steakhouse can be in London. Premium cuts meet Southeast Asian flavour, design-led spaces, and a dining experience that puts inclusivity and quality front and centre.

From Stockholm to Dublin via Finland, Mickael Viljanen’s journey is one of graft, instinct and quiet ambition. In this candid interview, the Chapter One chef patron reflects on immigration, pressure, Michelin stars and the responsibility of cooking at the highest level; why accolades matter, why humility matters more, and what it really takes to make people leave happier than they arrived.

From clay pots and banana leaves to live-fire cooking classes in Saint Lucia, Chef Nigel Mitchel’s journey is rooted in observation, intuition, and island produce. In this interview, he talks Caribbean vegan traditions, ancestral ingredients like breadfruit and dasheen, sustainable cooking at Ladera, and why cooking with love still matters more than trends.