Tasting Places Menu of Chefs

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It's all in the preparation "...our week with Tasting Places was unbelievable - we had the most memorable, fun-filled, happy cooking week... a success because of the wonderful people you have... a wonderful concept and operation."

Sandy Hird

ALASTAIR LITTLE
Italy (Tasting Places Partner)

Alastair is widely acknowledged to be one of the most interesting, innovative and exciting of the current generation of British chefs. Being largely self-taught helps make him a natural communicator of cooking techniques. He has opened his own wonderful deli; Tavola in West London.

CLAUDIO PECORARI
Italy

Claudio was born in Trieste, Italy and has lived and worked in England for the past 18 years. He has worked in the restaurant business for most of this time as a chef, teacher and consultant. His restaurants include Al San Martino, Tiberio and Cibo. He has been with Tasting Places since it started and is now moving back to live in Italy to indulge in his enthusiasm and love for his native cuisine.

GIUSEPPE SILVESTRI
Italy

Giuseppe was born and raised on Capri where he ran the family restaurant. Nine years ago he moved to London. For the last four he has been Harrod’s Head of Italian Food, prior to this he worked at Daphnes. He travels frequently, and has recently returned from America where he worked with Marcella Hazan. He is also a consultant tutor at Ferrandi, the Italian Culinary School.

PETER GORDON
Thailand & UK

Peter was born in New Zealand. His cooking career began in Melbourne, he then travelled in Asia for a year accumulating his knowledge of Asian foods. He brought his culinary ideas to London in the early nineties and was head chef at the award winning Sugar Club Restaurant. He now has his own acclaimed restaurant; The Providores with Anna Hansen.

HUGO ARNOLD
Italy

Hugo has been writing for eight years and was the 2001 winner of the Glenfiddich Newspaper Cookery Writer of the Year Award for his work in the Financial Times. He has written four cookery books and teaches regularly. When not cooking, eating or writing he is usually found shopping for food.

CARLA TOMASI
Italy

Carla for many years had her own restaurant in the heart of Soho, and then moved on to be head chef in a number of innovative new restaurants. She has also run her own cookery school, Turnaround Cooks. Carla has recently moved to Rome. Always in demand by magazines for her wonderful and original recipes, she has a great understanding of the history and food of Italy and is an intuitive and natural teacher.

PAUL BLAIN
Thailand

Paul started his Thai cooking in Sydney with David Thompson at the Darley Street Thai, one of Australia’s most renowned Thai restaurants. After many trips and much research he opened his highly acclaimed restaurant, The Chilli Jam Cafe, in Noosa, Queensland. Paul has his own Thai cookery school and Asian market garden in Queensland. His enthusiasm is inspiring and infectious.

JEREMY LEE
Italy

Jeremy worked along side Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He then went on to be head chef at Alastair Little’s in Soho. He is now head chef at the Blueprint Cafe in London. He has a passion for food and a great sense of humour.

MAXINE CLARK
Italy

Formerly a teacher at Leith’s Cookery School, Maxine now writes for magazines such as Food and Travel, Country Living and Good Housekeeping. She is the author of seven cookery books and a food stylist specialising in Italian food. Her knowledge and teaching skills are always highly praised by guests.

SOPHIE BRAIMBRIDGE
Italy

Sophie trained at Leith’s and has worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants; Le Gavroche with Albert Roux and in California at the legendary Chez Panisse with Alice Walters. In London she has cooked for Sally Clarke at Clarkes and at the River Cafe with Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. Her intimate knowledge of Italian and Moroccan cuisine is truly inspiring. She is a great supporter and teacher of our courses.

MARTIN SAXON
(Tasting Places Partner)

Martin was a restaurateur for over 15 years and owned, managed or consulted for many seminal restaurants including 192, The River Café, The Square, The Park and the Lexington. He is now a food and wine writer and consultant specialising in Italy and co-ordinates wines for the different courses and regions, constantly monitoring trends, researching and updating new producers to ensure we drink as well as we can.

ERIC CHAVOT
France

Head Chef of the 2 Michelin star Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. Eric's CV includes his time as chef/ patron of Interlude de Chavot and as head chef of The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and Nico at Ninety. AA Gill has described Eric's work thus 'faultlessly assured, elegant, thoughtful, poignant, intelligent, top of the range & exceedingly rare'.

MATTHEW HARRIS
France

Matthew started in the Bibendum kitchens with Simon Hopkinson in 1987 as a chef de partie, and has now been head chef for 8 years. Matthew's cooking is classic & contemporary French, his early training was in the family's seminal Brighton restaurant Le Grand Gousier. Bibendum remains one of the stars in the London Restaurant scene and under Matthew's guiding hand is as inspired and sophisticated as the day it opened.

GUEST CHEFS

In the past we have worked Ruth Rogers & Rose Gray, Claudia Roden, Alvaro Maccioni and Nigella Lawson.

ALASTAIR LITTLE Italy (Tasting Places Partner)
Alastair is widely acknowledged to be one of the most interesting, innovative and exciting of the current generation of British chefs. Being largely self-taught helps make him a natural communicator of cooking techniques. He has opened his own wonderful deli; Tavola in West London.
CLAUDIO PECORARI Italy
Claudio was born in Trieste, Italy and has lived and worked in England for the past 18 years. He has worked in the restaurant business for most of this time as a chef, teacher and consultant. His restaurants include Al San Martino, Tiberio and Cibo. He has been with Tasting Places since it started and is now moving back to live in Italy to indulge in his enthusiasm and love for his native cuisine.
GIUSEPPE SILVESTRI Italy
Giuseppe was born and raised on Capri where he ran the family restaurant. Nine years ago he moved to London. For the last four he has been Harrod’s Head of Italian Food, prior to this he worked at Daphnes. He travels frequently, and has recently returned from America where he worked with Marcella Hazan. He is also a consultant tutor at Ferrandi, the Italian Culinary School.
PETER GORDON Thailand & UK
Peter was born in New Zealand. His cooking career began in Melbourne, he then travelled in Asia for a year accumulating his knowledge of Asian foods. He brought his culinary ideas to London in the early nineties and was head chef at the award winning Sugar Club Restaurant. He now has his own acclaimed restaurant; The Providores with Anna Hansen.
HUGO ARNOLD Italy
Hugo has been writing for eight years and was the 2001 winner of the Glenfiddich Newspaper Cookery Writer of the Year Award for his work in the Financial Times. He has written four cookery books and teaches regularly. When not cooking, eating or writing he is usually found shopping for food.
CARLA TOMASI Italy
Carla for many years had her own restaurant in the heart of Soho, and then moved on to be head chef in a number of innovative new restaurants. She has also run her own cookery school, Turnaround Cooks. Carla has recently moved to Rome. Always in demand by magazines for her wonderful and original recipes, she has a great understanding of the history and food of Italy and is an intuitive and natural teacher.
PAUL BLAIN Thailand
Paul started his Thai cooking in Sydney with David Thompson at the Darley Street Thai, one of Australia’s most renowned Thai restaurants. After many trips and much research he opened his highly acclaimed restaurant, The Chilli Jam Cafe, in Noosa, Queensland. Paul has his own Thai cookery school and Asian market garden in Queensland. His enthusiasm is inspiring and infectious.
JEREMY LEE Italy
Jeremy worked along side Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He then went on to be head chef at Alastair Little’s in Soho. He is now head chef at the Blueprint Cafe in London. He has a passion for food and a great sense of humour.
MAXINE CLARK Italy
Formerly a teacher at Leith’s Cookery School, Maxine now writes for magazines such as Food and Travel, Country Living and Good Housekeeping. She is the author of seven cookery books and a food stylist specialising in Italian food. Her knowledge and teaching skills are always highly praised by guests.
SOPHIE BRAIMBRIDGE Italy
Sophie trained at Leith’s and has worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants; Le Gavroche with Albert Roux and in California at the legendary Chez Panisse with Alice Walters. In London she has cooked for Sally Clarke at Clarkes and at the River Cafe with Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. Her intimate knowledge of Italian and Moroccan cuisine is truly inspiring. She is a great supporter and teacher of our courses.
MARTIN SAXON (Tasting Places Partner)
Martin was a restaurateur for over 15 years and owned, managed or consulted for many seminal restaurants including 192, The River Café, The Square, The Park and the Lexington. He is now a food and wine writer and consultant specialising in Italy and co-ordinates wines for the different courses and regions, constantly monitoring trends, researching and updating new producers to ensure we drink as well as we can.
ERIC CHAVOT France
Head Chef of the 2 Michelin star Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. Eric's CV includes his time as chef/ patron of Interlude de Chavot and as head chef of The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and Nico at Ninety. AA Gill has described Eric's work thus 'faultlessly assured, elegant, thoughtful, poignant, intelligent, top of the range & exceedingly rare'.
MATTHEW HARRIS France
Matthew started in the Bibendum kitchens with Simon Hopkinson in 1987 as a chef de partie, and has now been head chef for 8 years. Matthew's cooking is classic & contemporary French, his early training was in the family's seminal Brighton restaurant Le Grand Gousier. Bibendum remains one of the stars in the London Restaurant scene and under Matthew's guiding hand is as inspired and sophisticated as the day it opened.
GUEST CHEFS
In the past we have worked Ruth Rogers & Rose Gray, Claudia Roden, Alvaro Maccioni and Nigella Lawson.