# Tom Kerridge
**Tom Kerridge** (born 1973) is an English chef and restaurateur, chef-patron of The Hand and Flowers in [Marlow, Buckinghamshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/marlow-buckinghamshire), the pub credited as the first in the world to hold two Michelin stars, and a prominent television cook and cookbook author.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) • [2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Gloucestershire[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) |
| Flagship restaurant | The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, opened 2005 with his wife Beth; two Michelin stars[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) |
| Star history | First Michelin star in 2006, a year after opening; second in 2011 (one account dates it to 2012)[3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) • [4](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/tom-kerridge/) |
| Other venues | The Coach (2014, one Michelin star), The Butcher's Tap (2017), Kerridge's Bar & Grill at the Corinthia (2018), The Bull & Bear, Manchester (2019)[5](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/) |
| Early training | Commis chef at Calcot Manor, 1991; first head-chef post at Adlards, Norwich, June 2003, where he gained a Michelin star[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) |
| Television | Host of Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food and judge on the BBC's Great British Menu; recent series include Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain and Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) • [6](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/media-releases/tom-kerridge-back-cook-italy-itv1-and-itvx) |
| Books | At least 13 titles including Proper Pub Food (2013), Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet (2017) and Pub Kitchen (2023)[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) • [7](https://www.independent.co.uk/indy-eats/tom-kerridge-pub-food-scene-b2423596.html) |
## Early career
Kerridge was born and raised in [Gloucestershire](https://www.edgepedia.org/gloucestershire) and joined culinary school in [Cheltenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/cheltenham) at 18.[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) His first kitchen job came in 1991 as a commis chef at Calcot Manor in Tetbury, a hotel that then held one Michelin star.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) Between 1992 and 1996 he worked as a chef de partie at the Painswick Hotel and the Country Elephant, both two-AA-rosette restaurants in Gloucestershire, before moving to London.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/)
**London and Adlards.** His first London job was as chef de partie at the Michelin-starred Capital Hotel, and he then spent more than two years as sous chef at Stephen Bull's restaurant in St Martin's Lane, followed by a sous-chef post under [Gary Rhodes](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-rhodes) at Rhodes In the Square.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) Short spells at Odettes in [Primrose Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/primrose-hill), Bellamy's Dining Room, Great Fosters and Monsieur Max in Hampton preceded his first head-chef position, at the Michelin-starred Adlards in Norwich in June 2003, where he gained a Michelin star and scored six in the Good Food Guide.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) He left in January 2005 to find his own site.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/)
Before cooking, Kerridge had worked as a child actor, with roles on television shows such as *[Miss Marple](https://www.edgepedia.org/miss-marple-tv-series)* and *London's Burning*.[8](https://www.thecaterer.com/news/caterersearchcom-100-tom-kerridge)
## The Hand and Flowers
In 2005 Kerridge and his wife Beth, a sculptor, took over a run-down pub in Marlow; the couple's limited budget meant a pub rather than the restaurant they had hoped to open.[1](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/) The Hand and Flowers opened in 2005 and earned its first Michelin star in 2006, a year after opening.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) Dating of the second star differs: the Guardian and the Morning Advertiser place it in 2011,[3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) • [9](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2023/08/18/what-are-tom-kerridge-s-hospitality-career-highlights/) while one chef profile dates it to 2012 and calls the pub the first in the world to hold two Michelin stars.[4](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/tom-kerridge/) Kerridge's own website describes it as the first pub ever to earn two stars,[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) and the [Michelin Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelin-guide) calls it the UK's only two-Michelin-star pub.[10](https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en/article/travel/my-london-by-tom-kerridge) The Hand and Flowers topped the National Restaurant Awards list in 2013.[5](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/)
The cooking stays deliberately pub-rooted: menus have featured dishes such as gala pie and apple and custard slice, and Kerridge has said "The Hand is a pub, always has been, always will be", rejecting what he calls old-fashioned restaurant culture where diners feel intimidated.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) His stated approach is to take food people recognize, such as pies, steak, or fish and chips, and make it world class, always produce-based.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/indy-eats/tom-kerridge-pub-food-scene-b2423596.html)
## The restaurant group
From the Marlow base the group has grown steadily. The Coach opened in 2014 and holds a Michelin star of its own, and The Butcher's Tap, a pub and butchery, opened in 2017.[5](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/) • [2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) Kerridge's first London restaurant, Kerridge's Bar & Grill, opened at the five-star Corinthia Hotel in 2018, followed by The Bull & Bear at Manchester's Stock Exchange Hotel in 2019.[5](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/) The group also includes Kerridge's Fish & Chips at Harrods,[11](https://www.theguardian.com/observer-food-monthly-awards/2022/apr/21/from-andi-oliver-to-tom-kerridge-meet-the-observer-food-monthly-awards-2022-judges) The Chalk Freehouse in Chelsea,[10](https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en/article/travel/my-london-by-tom-kerridge) and The Butcher's Tap & Grill and The Shed in Marlow.[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) Kerridge's Bar & Grill was due to close temporarily from 2 August 2026 and reopen in early September for what the restaurant describes as a new chapter.[12](https://www.kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk/opening-hours)
As he turned 50, Kerridge described his kitchen role shifting from line cooking to what he calls a coaching role, comparing himself to football manager [Gareth Southgate](https://www.edgepedia.org/gareth-southgate) rather than player [Jack Grealish](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-grealish): as chefs age, the work becomes people management, cost control and guest experience.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/indy-eats/tom-kerridge-pub-food-scene-b2423596.html)
## Television and books
Kerridge's first [Great British Menu](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-british-menu) appearance came in 2010, when his slow-cooked [Aylesbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/aylesbury) duck with duck-fat chips and gravy won the main course prize; the next year his hog roast took the same award.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge) He hosted the six-show BBC series *Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food* and has appeared on programs including [Bake Off: The Professionals](https://www.edgepedia.org/bake-off-the-professionals), Saturday Kitchen and MasterChef.[13](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/07/04/Tom-Kerridge-how-the-celebrity-pub-chef-became-who-he-is-today/) • [5](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/) He continues as a judge on the BBC's Great British Menu, championing the next generation of chefs.[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/)
His travel-cooking format has expanded into a series: *Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain* celebrated British producers, followed by a Spain series, and *Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy*, a 6 x 30 series made by South Shore and Bone Soup for ITV1 and ITVX, in which he travels six Italian regions in a vintage food truck meeting growers and producers.[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) • [6](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/media-releases/tom-kerridge-back-cook-italy-itv1-and-itvx) • [14](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/tom-kerridge-cooks-spain-release-date-interview-and-everything-we-know)
He is one of the UK's most successful food authors, with at least 13 titles including *Proper Pub Food*, *Best Ever Dishes*, *Tom's Table*, *Dopamine Diet*, *Lose Weight for Good*, *Fresh Start*, *The Hand & Flowers Cookbook* (2020, 70 recipes marking 15 years of the pub), *Outdoor Cooking*, *Real Life Recipes*, *Pub Kitchen* (2023) and *Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain*.[2](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/) • [15](https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/files/rights-frankfurt-catalogue-2019-adult.pdf) *Pub Kitchen*, a follow-up to 2013's *Proper Pub Food*, reflects how the pub landscape has changed, with recipes ranging from Cajun fish burgers to paneer and pea fritters and tempura sardines with seaweed mayo.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/indy-eats/tom-kerridge-pub-food-scene-b2423596.html) His 2017 *Dopamine Diet* tied into a publicly discussed weight-loss program.[16](https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jun/23/tom-kerridge-pub-gym-restaurant-work-sector-interview)
## Advocacy and other work
Kerridge is an active voice for the hospitality industry. He fronts the #VATsTheProblem campaign, which calls for a 10% VAT rate in hospitality, and supports Hospitality Action, the industry charity, through events such as auction dinners at his London pub the Chalk.[17](https://www.thecaterer.com/indepth/tom-kerridge-my-daftest-ritual-keeping-my-two-michelin-star-spoon) During the pandemic he collaborated with footballer [Marcus Rashford](https://www.edgepedia.org/marcus-rashford) and publicly warned of further restaurant closures as furlough support wound down.[18](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/tom-kerridge-new-book-outdoor-cooking-b1862333.html)
His name now extends to product lines and events. An M&S partnership produces his cast-iron casserole dishes and pan sets, which reviewers have highlighted as budget alternatives to established brands; a stainless steel saucepan from the line became an M&S bestseller.[19](https://www.womanandhome.com/homes/kitchen/m-and-s-x-tom-kerridge-cast-iron-casserole-dish-review/) • [20](https://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms/cookware/tom-kerridge-x-m-and-s-3-piece-cast-iron-stcking-set-review) • [21](https://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms/cookware/tom-kerridge-x-m-and-s-stainless-steel-all-in-one-pan-user-reviews) He was named Observer Food Monthly's best food personality in 2015,[22](https://www.lussmanns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Lussmanns-Awards-Success-Oct-2015.pdf) judged the Observer Food Monthly Awards in 2022,[11](https://www.theguardian.com/observer-food-monthly-awards/2022/apr/21/from-andi-oliver-to-tom-kerridge-meet-the-observer-food-monthly-awards-2022-judges) sat on the judging panel for the Caterer's 2026 Cateys Chef Award,[23](https://www.thecaterer.com/indepth/cateys-2026-chef-award-john-williams-the-ritz-london) and served as culinary partner for the 2026 Autosport Awards at London's Roundhouse.[24](https://www.motorsport.com/autosport-awards/news/autosport-awards-unveils-tom-kerridge-as-culinary-partner-elevating-racings-signature-night/10785484/)
## References
1. [Chef's CV – Tom Kerridge, The Morning Advertiser](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2005/12/01/Chef-s-CV-Tom-Kerridge/)
2. [About Tom Kerridge, tomkerridge.com](https://tomkerridge.com/about-tom-kerridge/)
3. [OFM Awards 2015 best food personality: Tom Kerridge, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/18/ofm-awards-2015-best-food-personality-tom-kerridge)
4. [Tom Kerridge: Chef of The Hand and Flowers, Pickup Table](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/tom-kerridge/)
5. [Tom Kerridge chef profile, National Restaurant Awards](https://www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk/chef-profile/tom-kerridge/)
6. [Tom Kerridge Back to Cook Italy on ITV1 and ITVX, ITV Press Centre](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/media-releases/tom-kerridge-back-cook-italy-itv1-and-itvx)
7. [Tom Kerridge on how British food and his own cooking has changed, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/indy-eats/tom-kerridge-pub-food-scene-b2423596.html)
8. [Caterersearch.com 100: Tom Kerridge, The Caterer](https://www.thecaterer.com/news/caterersearchcom-100-tom-kerridge)
9. [What are Tom Kerridge's hospitality career highlights?, The Morning Advertiser](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2023/08/18/what-are-tom-kerridge-s-hospitality-career-highlights/)
10. [Tom Kerridge's London: His Favourite New Openings and Perfect Day Out, MICHELIN Guide](https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en/article/travel/my-london-by-tom-kerridge)
11. [From Andi Oliver to Tom Kerridge: meet the Observer Food Monthly Awards 2022 judges, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/observer-food-monthly-awards/2022/apr/21/from-andi-oliver-to-tom-kerridge-meet-the-observer-food-monthly-awards-2022-judges)
12. [Kerridge's Bar & Grill opening hours, kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk](https://www.kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk/opening-hours)
13. [Tom Kerridge: how the celebrity pub chef became who he is today, The Morning Advertiser](https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/07/04/Tom-Kerridge-how-the-celebrity-pub-chef-became-who-he-is-today/)
14. [Tom Kerridge Cooks Spain: release date and interview, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/tom-kerridge-cooks-spain-release-date-interview-and-everything-we-know)
15. [Bloomsbury Frankfurt rights catalogue 2019, media.bloomsbury.com](https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/files/rights-frankfurt-catalogue-2019-adult.pdf)
16. [Tom Kerridge on love, weight loss and the restaurant crisis, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jun/23/tom-kerridge-pub-gym-restaurant-work-sector-interview)
17. [Tom Kerridge: My daftest ritual? Keeping my two-Michelin-star spoon, The Caterer](https://www.thecaterer.com/indepth/tom-kerridge-my-daftest-ritual-keeping-my-two-michelin-star-spoon)
18. [Tom Kerridge: Being a chef is a way of life, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/tom-kerridge-new-book-outdoor-cooking-b1862333.html)
19. [The exact casserole dish Tom Kerridge uses is only £30, woman&home](https://www.womanandhome.com/homes/kitchen/m-and-s-x-tom-kerridge-cast-iron-casserole-dish-review/)
20. [The M&S x Tom Kerridge Stackable Cast Iron Pan set, Ideal Home](https://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms/cookware/tom-kerridge-x-m-and-s-3-piece-cast-iron-stcking-set-review)
21. [Tom Kerridge stainless steel all-in-one pan user reviews, Ideal Home](https://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms/cookware/tom-kerridge-x-m-and-s-stainless-steel-all-in-one-pan-user-reviews)
22. [Lussmanns Awards Success Oct 2015, lussmanns.com](https://www.lussmanns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Lussmanns-Awards-Success-Oct-2015.pdf)
23. [Cateys 2026: Chef Award – John Williams, the Ritz London, The Caterer](https://www.thecaterer.com/indepth/cateys-2026-chef-award-john-williams-the-ritz-london)
24. [Autosport Awards unveils Tom Kerridge as Culinary Partner, Motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/autosport-awards/news/autosport-awards-unveils-tom-kerridge-as-culinary-partner-elevating-racings-signature-night/10785484/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Restaurants, chefs, and culinary practice › Chefs, culinary professions, and hospitality › Michelin-starred chefs and culinary award recipients*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license