Tom Kerridge

The Climb

The route into professional kitchens moved from performance to the pass without making performance the point. Tom Kerridge appeared in front of the camera as a child actor at Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (from 1991), then entered kitchen work as commis chef at Calcot Manor in Tetbury (from 1991). The early kitchen sequence matters for the craft record: chef at Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, chef at Stephen Bull restaurant in Marylebone, then sous chef at Rhodes in the Square (from 1999). Those posts mark a progression through service discipline, station work, timing and the practical authority of the pass. The London and regional kitchen years added senior responsibility before the pub became the main vehicle. Tom Kerridge was sous chef at Odettes in London (until 2001), then head chef at Bellamys Dining Room (from 2001), head chef at Great Fosters in Surrey, senior sous chef at Monsieur Max in London (until 2003), and head chef at Adlards in Norwich (2003–2005). In 2005, the move to owner of The Hand & Flowers (since 2005) put Modern British pub cooking at the centre of the work: generous flavour, restaurant control, and the pub format treated as a serious dining room rather than a lesser category. Broadcast work extended the same register to a wider audience: food as practical, social and repeatable, not just plated for inspection. Tom Kerridge was guest chef at Food and Drink in BBC (2013), presenter at Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food in BBC Two (2013), host at Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge in BBC One (2014), co-presenter of Food and Drink (since 2015), presenter at Bake Off: Crème de la Crème in BBC Two (2016), co-presenter at The Food Detectives in BBC Two (2016), co-presenter at The Best of British Takeaways in BBC Two (2017), and presenter at Tom Kerridge: Lose Weight For Good in BBC Two (2017). The useful point for the trade is the consistency of address: pub food, home cooking, takeaway culture, baking competition and nutrition-led programming all require clarity without diluting technique. The pub-and-restaurant platform widened from 2017 through events, television, hotels and travel dining. Tom Kerridge became founder at Pub in the Park in Marlow (from 2017), continued as presenter at Tom Kerridge's Fresh Start in BBC Two (2019), presenter at Tom Kerridge's American Feast in Food Network UK (2019), owner at The Bull & Bear in Stock Exchange Hotel, Manchester (2019–2022), presenter at Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge in BBC Two (2020), presenter at Tom Kerridge Barbecues in Food Network UK (2020), and menu collaborator at British Airways (from 2021). Today, Tom is owner of The Hand & Flowers (since 2005), co-presenter of Food and Drink (since 2015), owner of The Coach, owner of The Butcher's Tap, founder of LUSH by The Hand and Flowers (since 2018), and owner of Kerridge’s Bar & Grill (since 2018).

Today

Modern British pub cooking here is not a nostalgic category; it is a working structure for appetite, richness and finish. In Tom Kerridge’s hands, pub classics are treated with restaurant discipline: bold seasoning, layered savoury notes and clean presentation.

Signature

Signature dishes include Tart of cured beef.

In Their Words “Finding the time to eat proper, homemade food together as a family is one of life’s biggest pleasures. I want to help people to discover this for themselves and reap the rewards.” “I never dreamt I’d go from being a commis chef at Calcot Manor to leading my own team of dedicated Pirates across some of Britain’s most exciting kitchens.”

Recognition

Tom Kerridge has received two Michelin stars for The Hand and Flowers (2012). The recognition record is tied to pub cooking being judged at the level of serious restaurant craft. Tom's honors include Michelin star for The Coach (2017), Second Michelin star for The Hand & Flowers (2012), Michelin star for The Hand & Flowers (2006), Chef Award (2017), UK's top gastropub for The Hand & Flowers (2014), and Chef of the Year (2014).