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Martin Blunos
Michelin-starred chef
- Discipline
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i. Biography
Consultant Martin Blunos, born in Bath on 11 April 1960, is a British chef and consultant whose work has moved through grand dining rooms, hotel kitchens, and entrepreneurial ventures. The through-line is not style for its own sake, but the discipline required when service, standards, and personality all have to hold together in the same kitchen.
The Path
Training at Thornbury Castle School, Cheltenham, and Cambridge gave Martin Blunos the base that formal kitchens demand: repetition, control, and attention to small shifts in technique. From there, his career moved through a series of posts that show range as much as ambition. He worked as chef at Strand Palace Hotel in London, then as chef on a Greek tycoon's yacht, a setting that required the practical adaptability of service delivered at sea. Back on land, Lampwick's in Battersea, London, was followed by a longer period as chef-proprietor at Lettonie in Bristol (1988–1997). That role meant more than cooking: it meant carrying responsibility for the room, the menu, and the day-to-day rhythm of the business. He then continued as chef-proprietor at Lettonie in Bath (1997–2001), keeping the same name and work while shifting location. The next step was Blinis, where he served as chef-proprietor from 2001–2002. In 2004, he became head chef at Lygon Arms in Broadway, Worcestershire (from 2004), a post that placed him in a country-house context where pace and precision matter in equal measure. Later roles broadened the remit further. Martin Blunos worked as executive chef at Hurst House on the Marsh in Laugharne, West Wales, executive chef at Reservoir in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, and executive chef at Crown Hotels (2010–2012). In 2012, he became culinary director at Hogarth Hotel restaurants in Dorridge, West Midlands (from 2012), a role with wider oversight across multiple kitchens. His later work kept to that pattern. From 2016–2017, he was executive chef at Bespoke Hotels in The Talbot Inn, Ripley, Surrey.
The Work Today
Today, the main work is consultancy. That role draws on decades inside kitchens where standards have to be set, read, and repeated under pressure. He is associated with Lettonie in Bristol, linking current practice back to one of the most defining names in his career.
Signature
Martin Blunos's signature dish is Borsch (beetroot soup). The dish suits a cook whose work has long relied on clarity and restraint: deep colour, earthiness, and a directness that leaves little room for disguise.
Acclaim
Martin Blunos's honors include Michelin Guide two stars. It is a straightforward mark of the standard his cooking reached, and of the recognition that followed from it.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Martin
What is Martin Blunos's current role?
As of 2026, Martin Blunos is operator of Blunos.
Where did Martin Blunos train or study?
Martin Blunos trained at Thornbury Castle School and Cheltenham.
What recognition has Martin Blunos received?
Michelin Guide two stars (1991).
