Caterersearch.com 100: Marco Pierre White

01 July 2010
Caterersearch.com 100: Marco Pierre White

Overall ranking: 84

Chef ranking: 24

Marco Pierre White - Snapshot

http://www.mpwsteakhousechester.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Marco Pierre White ](http://www.marcopierrewhite.org/)was the first Briton and remains the youngest chef in the UK to win three Michelin stars.

He was the AA Chef of the Decade in 2002, while a 2003 Caterer survey of Michelin-starred chefs rated White the second-greatest living UK chef - after the Roux brothers - and his White Heat book the most influential cookbook.

Marco Pierre White - Career guide

After gaining early experience in a Harrogate hotel and West Yorkshire's Box Tree restaurant, the Leeds-born Marco Pierre White arrived in London aged 16 to train under some of the top players of the time, including Albert Roux, Pierre Koffmann, Nico Ladenis and Raymond Blanc.

White made his name after launching Harvey's in Wandsworth, London, in 1987 which scooped its second Michelin star in 1990. He gained a third Michelin star in 1995, after closing Harvey's (which became Chez Bruce) and establishing Restaurant Marco Pierre White in the Forte-owned Hyde Park Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park).

When the Hyde Park was sold, he moved his restaurant to the Le Meridien Piccadilly hotel in 1997, renaming it the Oak Room and continuing to cook until December 1999, when he claimed to have "returned" his three Michelin stars and hung up his whites to focus on his growing restaurant empire.

His most enduring partnerships have been with Jimmy Lahoud, with whom he set up White Star Line in 1999; hotelier Sir Rocco Forte; and, more recently, Italian jockey Frankie Dettori, with whom he co-owns the [Frankie's Italian Bar and Grill](http://www.frankiesitalianbarandgrill.com/) chain. Other interests include a pub in Newbury and a restaurant at Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge stadium.

Marco Pierre White - What we think

Caterer interview - and, to the astonishment of some foodies, Bernard Matthews also.

But news-worthy advertising decisions should not overshadow White's achievements. He was the first Briton and the youngest chef in the UK to win three Michelin stars, redrawing the boundaries of fine dining in the UK during the 1980s and breaking the dominance of French master chefs to inspire a new wave of home-grown talent, from Gary Rhodes to John Campbell. The roster of chefs who have worked for White have included Gordon Ramsay, Richard Neat, Phil Howard, Stephen Terry and Eric Chavot. His book White Heat, meanwhile, remains an essential read for any serious food fan.

White has been a regular on our television screens in recent years, on shows such as Hell's Kitchen and Marco's Kitchen Burnout, dispensing wisdom such as "Mother Nature is the true artist."

But he is still a significant presence in the industry, having recently opened two restaurants: at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel in Abu Dhabi, and relaunching Luciano as fish restaurant Wheelers. He plans to roll out the brand across London and in Dubai.

White's empire also includes Marco at Chelsea FC; the [Yew Tree Inn](http://www.theyewtree.net/) at Newbury, Berkshire; Marco Pierre White at the West Tower in Aughton; a Marco Pierre White-branded eaterie at the [Swan Inn](http://www.mpwtheswan.co.uk/) pub in Aughton; as well as a [Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grillat the Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Chester.

Marco Pierre White - Further information

Marco Pierre White to launch three ventures in the North West >>

Marco Pierre White to open at Chelsea football ground >>

Exclusive: Marco Pierre White on why he's back behind the stove for TV's Hell's Kitchen >>

Exclusive video interview with Marco Pierre White at the 2008 Chef Conference >>


Read more about the Caterersearch.com 100, the list of the most influential people, here >>

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