Top 20 Most Influential Celeb Chefs - #20-11

Throughout August, Caterer Middle East''s online F&B survey recorded votes from Middle East industry professionals regarding who they felt were the most influential celebrity chefs impacting the F&B industry today.

Here are the exclusive findings, in reverse order, from places 20 to 10.

To find out who made it into the Top 10, click here.
 

20)  Neil Perry

Australian chef Neil Perry is a restaurateur, author and television presenter.

Before joining the hospitality industry, Perry started his working life as a hairdresser’s apprentice, before dropping out and taking a job as a waiter — which opened his eyes to the world of cheffing.

Today, he owns several renowned restaurants in Australia, including up-market steakhouse Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne, as well as three outlets in Sydney: fine-dining restaurant Rockpool, contemporary Chinese eatery Spice Temple and another Rockpool Bar & Grill.

Perry’s firm Rockpool Consulting also handles the in-flight catering for national carrier Qantas Airways.

19)  James Martin

Yorkshire lad James Martin has risen to prominence as a chef through various TV appearances in the UK — most notably on the BBC’s Ready, Steady Cook and Saturday Kitchen shows.

He has also taken part in various culinary events around the world, including the Jumeirah Festival of Taste and Taste of Dubai, both in the UAE.

You might not know that Martin holds the world record for carrot chopping, after peeling and chopping an impressive 515g of carrots in one minute, during a Ready Steady Cook charity special.
 

To read Caterer Middle East’s exclusive interview with James Martin on his plans for the Middle East, click here.

Marcus Wareing first came to public attention in his role as the protégé of Gordon Ramsay.

The relationship started with Wareing working at Ramsay’s Aubergine restaurant, and ultimately operating Pétrus — which has been awarded two Michelin stars — on behalf of Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) at the Berkeley Hotel in London.

However this symbiotic relationship came to an end in May 2008 when, after months of rumours concerning the Ramsay-Wareing partnership, the Berkeley Hotel confirmed it would work directly with Wareing to launch its own restaurant.

Wareing’s split from Ramsay and GRH resulted in a bitter legal battle between the three parties — but today his restaurant, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, has received critical acclaim and boasts two Michelin stars.

To read about Wareing’s most recent triumph over Ramsay, click here.

17)  Michel Roux

French-born Michel Roux achieved fame with brother Albert, after the pair opened the renowned restaurant Le Gavroche in London in 1967.

This became the first UK restaurant to gain one, two and then three Michelin stars.

In 1972, the Roux brothers opened another outlet, the Waterside Inn, in Berkshire, UK (today run by Michel Roux’s son Alain).

In the same year, Roux received craftsman’s award the Meilleur Ouvrier de France for his skill in patisserie.

He has previously visited the Middle East to take part in the Jumeirah Festival of Taste show in Dubai.

16)  Jean-Christophe Novelli

Jean-Christophe Novelli started his career working in a bakery in his native France, before becoming a personal chef to the Rothschild family at the tender age of 20.

In 1983 he moved to the UK and started running Keith Floyd's Maltster's Arms restaurant in Devon.

He won later won the first of his two Michelin stars at Le Provence in Lymington, before becoming head chef at the Four Seasons Hotel on Hyde Park Corner.

Since then, Novelli has opened various outlets — including his Central London restaurant, Maison Novelli — as well as a cooking school, The Novelli Academy, at his Hertfordshire farmhouse.

Novelli has chieved fame through multiple television appearances, including the famed Hell's Kitchen alongside Gary Rhodes in 2005. He has also previously taken part in Dubai’s Festival of Taste extravaganza, organised by Jumeirah Group.

15)  Atul Kochhar

Atul Kochhar was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, thanks to his efforts as head chef of Tamarind restaurant in London, UK.

Since then, Kochhar has not looked back, joining Marks & Spencers as a consultant chef and opening his own restaurant, Benares which also won a Michelin star in 2007.

He has written acclaimed cookbooks Indian Essence and Fish, Indian Style: 100 Simple Spicy Recipes and regularly appears on food shows, including the BBC’s Great British Menu series. Today, he keeps busy, not only teaching Indian cookery at London’s Thames Valley University, but also opening two new outlets this year — one in Hampshire, UK, and one in Dublin, Ireland.

Kochhar has signed a deal with cruise line P&O Cruises to launch a fine-dining restaurant onboard the company’s new superliner, the Azura, in 2010.

14)  Rick Stein

Famed today for his expertise with fish dishes, Rick Stein opened his first business in Cornwall, UK, with The Seafood Restaurant; today his company operates four restaurants, a bistro, a café, along with several food-related retail outlets.

Stein has become a popular presenter of culinary television programmes, primarily centered around seafood.

Stein is scheduled to open a new outlet in Australia at the start of next month — ‘Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook’, a restaurant located in a beachfront hotel in New South Wales.

13)  Thomas Keller

American chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Thomas Keller — the man behind the famous French Laundry in California, USA — began his career at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, followed by a stint at a small French restaurant in New York, then apprenticeships at various Michelin-starred outlets.

He opened The French Laundry in 1994 — in an old French steam laundry that had been converted into a restaurant.

The restaurant has since won numerous awards and accolades, including three Michelin stars.

Further outlets followed, including French bistro Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, Per Se (also boasting three Michelin stars) and Ad Hoc.

Keller has also released several culinary books, including The French Laundry Cookbook, The Bouchon Cookbook and Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide.

12)  Giorgio Locatelli

Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli was attracted to a culinary career at an early age, influenced by the Michelin-starred restaurant his family ran in Italy.

He moved to the UK in 1986 to work under Anton Edelmann at The Savoy, after which he held roles in Paris and London before opening the (later Michelin-starred) Zafferano restaurant in London in 1995.

In 2002, Locatelli opened first independent restaurant Locanda Locatelli, which also won a Michelin star.

More recently, he became the patron chef of Ronda Locatelli at Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm hotel.

He has made several television appearances over the years and release a highly-acclaimed cookery book, Made in Italy.

To read Locatelli’s rant against characterless Dubai restaurants, click here.

11)  Joël Robuchon

Internationally renowned French chef and restaurateur Joël Robuchon has influenced numerous culinary scenes around the globe, with restaurants operating in numerous cities including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Macau, Monaco, New York City, Paris, and Tokyo.

These outlets boast a total of 25 stars between them — more than any other chef in the world.

Robuchon, who was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in cuisine in 1976, has mentored respected chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Michael Caines.

He has also published several cookbooks, including The Complete Robuchon and French Cheeses.




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