Hambleton Hall remains the longest tenured Michelin-starred restaurant in the country, and a huge amount of that is thanks to Aaron Patterson. Aaron has been head chef at Hambleton since 1992 – that’s a whopping twenty-six years – and has guided the restaurant through a number of evolutions to keep it well ahead of the game. Although styles may change over the course of a couple of decades, Aaron’s food has always been based on two things – incredible sourcing and precise technique.

Born and raised amid the rice paddies of Vercelli, Christian and Manuel Costardi have forged a reputation as Italy’s foremost experts on risotto, creating over twenty different varieties for their exciting tasting menus. As young teenagers the two brothers honed their craft in the kitchen at their grandfather’s hotel. Now that hotel belongs to them, and they have made Ristorante Christian e Manuel into one of the finest risotterias in the country, with a Michelin star to boot.

Having spent time with culinary legends like Anton Mosimann, Guy Lassausaie and Marc Meurin, Adam Bennett is a chef with an incredible pedigree. Adam’s fourth place finish at the Bocuse D’Or remains the best ever finish by a British contestant, and iconic Birmingham restaurant Simpsons was one of the best restaurants in the country during his tenure as head chef. Today, his classical training shines through in his cooking at The Cross in Kenilworth, where he is chef-director of one of the best Michelin-starred gastropubs in the UK.

Having worked with French legends like Raymond Blanc, Joël Robuchon and Bernard Loiseau, Michael Caines has become one of the UK’s very best chefs – a legend in his own right. After holding two Michelin stars at Gidleigh Park for seventeen years, Michael left to open his own hotel and restaurant: Lympstone Manor, in the Exe Estuary. His original cooking style, combining classical French technique with the finest ingredients of the South West, has already become one of the region’s culinary highlights – just six months after opening, Michael and his team were awarded a Michelin star.

Every young Welsh lad dreams of pulling on a red shirt, stepping out onto the turf at the Millennium Stadium and playing rugby for their country to a chorus of Land of My Fathers. For Scott Davies – a Welsh Schools Rugby player in his teenage years – that fantasy could have been reality, but Scott never doubted that he would cook for a living. After finishing as runner-up in 2013’s Masterchef: The Professionals, Scott rapidly built a reputation in Scotland and became head chef at the prestigious Three Chimneys, where his clean, pure style is proving to be a wonderful match for the Isle of Skye.