Great British Menu 2021: London and South East preview

Originally from Thailand, Kim is a competitive newcomer with her sights firmly set on the Banquet. She grew up in Thailand where she learnt to cook with her grandmother, then moved to the UK in 2006 to live with her mother, before graduating with an Economics and Business studies degree from Sussex University. It was here that she fell in love with cooking.

After studying, Kim decided to enter the hospitality industry. She worked with Michael Bremner at 64 Degrees and then went onto Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, London. She has worked at this iconic three-Michelin-starred restaurant for five years and climbed the ranks under chef patron Matt Abéto become senior sous chef.

Kim’s unique cooking style combines her Thai heritage with French classical training in a menu of exciting dishes honouring scientific visionaries from London and the South East.

Hampshire-born Oli is on a mission to follow in his boss’s footsteps, veteran Simon Rogan, and go all the way. 30-year-old Olidid his apprentice at Chewton Glen in Hampshire and then went on to work in world renowned restaurants such as The Fat Duck, Eleven Madison Park and Maaemo in Oslo.

For over four years Oli has been working for Banquet winner and veteran Simon Rogan and is the exec chef for Aulis London, an eight-seater chef’s table dining experience, and Roganic London which closed in December 2020 due to the pandemic (but is scheduled to reopen later this year). He is also the exec chef for Roganic Hong Kong which won its first Michelin star in January 2021, along with Aulis Hong Kong.

Oli’s cooking style is very seasonal, deceptively simple and based on classical English flavours. His menu for the competition is inspired by modern technology from underground farms to the invention of the internet underpinned by unique flavour combinations and classical techniques.

Tony comes from Reading and is ready to face the challenge of the competition.

Tony always knew he wanted to be a chef as he grew up with his parents in the industry. Since the age of nineteen Tony has worked in some of the best kitchens in the world including Copenhagen’s Noma under Rene Redzepi, Kommendaten, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Northcote Manor in Lancashire.

In 2019 Tony became head chef at The Tudor Room in Surrey. Tony had the opportunity to run this restaurant and firmly put his own stamp on it, turning it into Tony Parkin at the Tudor Room – within five months of reopening he was awarded one Michelin star.

Tony is classically trained and has a French style of cooking which includes modern techniques and Thai influences. For the competition, Tony is bringing his depth of flavour to dishes inspired by pioneers such as Florence Nightingale and Jane Goodall.