Josh Katz

The Climb

The kitchen training ground here is London, where Josh Katz began as chef de partie at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe in London. The next step was sous chef at Ottolenghi in London, a move that deepened the core habits of the trade: precision, rhythm, and keeping pace with service without losing control of the section. From there the path led to Made In Camden in Chalk Farm, where he became head chef from 2010. That period proved formative, giving his work its public outline and confirming a progression earned through repetition rather than noise. Today, Josh is chef-owner of Berber & Q Grill House, where he has been since 2015, as well as chef-owner of Shawarma Bar and chef-owner of Carmel. He is also Culinary Consultant of Vida Plena Hospitality Group. The thread across those roles is hands-on leadership: moving from line work into ownership without losing the operational focus that makes a kitchen run, and keeping the same attention on flavor, pace, and service.

Today

Shawarma remains the clearest through-line in Katz’s work, giving the kitchens a defined center even as the responsibilities around them expand. It is a practical kind of focus: one that keeps the cooking legible and rooted in a specific form rather than spread too thin. His view of hospitality is equally direct: “Hospitality can be a powerful force for good when delivered and executed properly.” The line fits a career that treats cooking and service as inseparable disciplines. In Katz’s work, the idea is only useful if it can be carried through the daily demands of the room.

Signature

Josh's signature dishes include shawarma-style chicken thigh kebab and Berber & Q: The Cookbook. The former uses the direct, flame-led register that runs through his cooking, while the latter carries that same identity into print and fixes the restaurant’s character on the page.

In Their Words “Hospitality can be a powerful force for good when delivered and executed properly.” “I’m not sure I had a penny-drop moment. It was more a gradual process.”

Recognition

The Michelin Guide’s 2013 Bib Gourmand is the key formal recognition in Katz’s record, arriving after the three years he had led the kitchen from 2010. It sits alongside strong critical notices for the same address, with Time Out awarding it 5 stars and The Sunday Times giving it 4 stars. Together, those notices show a restaurant that was already carrying weight beyond its own dining room. His awards and honors also include The Saturday Times giving Zest (London) 9/10, another signal of the critical attention that has followed his work. Read together, the record traces a career built step by step through London kitchens, leadership in Chalk Farm, and a continued emphasis on clear, disciplined craft.