From arriving in London in 1979 to opening 11 Taro restaurants, Mr Taro has spent decades making Japanese food feel at home in the capital. He talks to The Knife about Soho memories, Holloway, Arsenal-inspired sushi, the ramen that takes him back to Kumamoto and why the greatest reward is seeing generations of the same families return.

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".

Century egg, raw garlic and perhaps pig brain next? Noodle & Beer founder Xiaoxiao Wang talks to The Knife about challenging British palates, the rise of Sichuan food in London, balancing a growing restaurant brand with parenthood, and why every Noodle & Beer needs its own personality.

From running out of food at an East London pop-up to building a Michelin starred restaurant and international hospitality group, Dave Pynt has never been interested in making Burnt Ends "fancier". He talk to The Knife about signature dishes, brewing beer in Singapore, barbecue in the Maldives, a possible London return, and why sometimes the smartest thing a chef can do is leave a great dish alone.

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.

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.

What does five-star dining look like in 2026? For Heiko Riebandt, it isn't caviar, truffles or unnecessary theatre. The Great Southern Killarney's Director of Culinary tells The Knife about putting Kerry's remarkable produce centre stage, bringing a 170-year-old hotel into a new era and why the best luxury can sometimes be surprisingly simple.

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.

From relinquishing control over an open flame to rejecting the punishing kitchen culture he grew up in, new ALTA Head Chef Robbie Jameson is doing things his own way. The former HUMO chef talks Bar ALTA, Basque conviviality, cooking without ego and taking The Knife's Restaurant of the Year into its next chapter.

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.”

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.

From Naples to the Algarve via Sydney, Barcelona and the Caribbean, Andrea Ciuccio has built a career across some of the world's great food destinations. In this exclusive interview with The Knife, the W Algarve Executive Chef discusses "a cuisine of memory", seasonal Portuguese produce, why hotel dining must raise its game, and the one dish every guest should order.

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.

"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.

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.

“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.

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.

"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.

He spent years avoiding the Sri Lankan Burgher side of his cooking. Now it’s the foundation of one of Britain’s most compelling new restaurants. In this exclusive interview with The Knife, Jack Lury talks about identity, lockdown reinvention, cooking entirely alone for 10 guests a night, and why Hastings – not London – became home to his quietly ambitious restaurant.

Born in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, Chef Jad Youssef learned that food could be both comfort and connection. In this exclusive interview with The Knife, the Lebnani founder discusses preserving generations-old family recipes, why Lebanese cuisine deserves recognition beyond the “Middle Eastern” label, and how simplicity, balance and hospitality remain at the heart of every dish he serves.