Dave Mooney

David Mooney, of Belle Époque, Knutsford and The Duke Of Portland, Northwich is a trained chef who has appeared on TV and conducts cookery master classes at regional food fairs and shows,

The award winning Belle Époque, owned by the Mooney family for 3 decades has been named Cheshire Life Restaurant of the Year and secured the Hi-Life Diners Club 'Special Contribution' Award during 2006 with David as Head Chef.

In 2004, having seen the growth in the casual dining market, the Mooney family wanted to expand the family empire and offer a similar quality of food in a more relaxed pub environment pub, The Duke of Portland has now been hailed as one of Britain's top gastro pubs by The Times.

Mooney, who has trained with Raymond Blanc and worked with Marco Pierre-White for 3 years, concentrates on sourcing the finest local produce.

"My inspiration for this was working with Raymond Blanc, where I learnt that the quality and integrity of all ingredients are paramount."

Mooney will often be found negotiating with local farmers for the new, freshest Cheshire Potatoes or the new season spring lamb. More than a marketing gimmick, he's been doing this for over 20 years. Food is sourced through local suppliers and, wherever possible, directly from local producers. And in this case local means just that - within a just a couple of miles.
 

Simon Rimmer
Simon is an accomplished television presenter and author.
Simon currently presents Something for the Weekend on BBC 2 and has just finished filming Recipe for Success which will air on BBC 1 in 2008. A 5th series of the very successful Grubs Up will also air on ITV 1 in 2008. He’s no stranger to hard work, not only running two successful restaurants, Simon also presented and participated in several successful BBC Shows including This Little Farmer Went to Market, Great British Menu, Take on the Takeaway and the property show To Buy or Not to Buy.
Simon began his television career on Granada Breeze, hosting shows such as Livetime and Battle of the Chefs.
However, he has also appeared and presented regularly on programmes including This Morning, Great Food Live, Granada Tonight, A Taste for Travel, Lunchtime Live and The Afternoon Show, Gloria's Open House - Channel 5 and Xchange for CBBC.
Simon’s restaurant Greens in Manchester has been given the accolade of the best and most exciting vegetarian restaurants in the UK and has recently won North West Restaurant of the Year. Simon’s latest venture, Earle, opened in October 2006 has received rave reviews and has been included in the Good Food Guide. With a fresh, funky and fun approach to food, Simon believes that cooking is about exciting people. It should be sociable, straightforward and sparkling.
Advertising and endorsement campaigns include Ocean Spray, Eurocamp, Blue Dragon and Dolmio amongst others and Simon is often used for corporate events and demonstrations, which have included demos for Volvo, Fairclough Homes and Renault Gastronomique.
Simon’s first book – The Accidental Vegetarian (Cassell Illustrated) was published in October 2004 to great acclaim. His second book Rebel Cook is out now. He is currently working on his third book which will be published in Spring 2009.

Leigh Myers

Leigh Myers started cooking at the age of seven but it was when he was offered an apprenticeship at Paul Heathcote's School of Excellence, now in Manchester, at the age of 15 that he decided to go for a career as a chef.

After graduating from Heathcote's, he worked at Chez Nico restaurant in London for a few months. The capital's pace was dramatically different to what he was used to, and, deciding the aggression and discipline of a West End kitchen was not for him, he returned to the Heathcote family to work in the brassiere in Preston (now Simply Heathcotes) as chef de partie, larder and meat.

Within a year, though, he moved to the Michelin-starred Northcote Manor under Steve Williams and Nigel Haworth, where he made it to sous chef and in 2001 he returned for another spell at the Simply Heathcotes Preston restaurant, this time as head chef.

For his next job, the owners of the Park hotel in Preston wanted him to create a well respected eaterie from scratch. Within two weeks of opening - and with Myers doing his fair share of washing-up - the restaurant was awarded two AA rosettes.

In 2003, Paul Heathcote asked his former trainee to become head chef at his flagship Michelin-starred Longridge restaurant - an offer too good to refuse.

"It was the first proper kitchen I had stepped into when I first started, so it was amazing going back there as head chef," Myers says.

While there, he won a Caterer Acorn award in recognition of his talent. "It's the one that your peers and employees recommend you for, so it's special," he says. Myers gained a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and an Egon Ronay accolade during his 18 months back at Longridge, before decamping to the Wordsworth hotel in Grasmere, Cumbria, in the summer of 2005.

Now executive chef at the Grosvenor Pulford hotel in Chester, the 27-year-old has ambitions to one day run his own business..

Paul Askew
"It has always been my ambition to open a restaurant in the North West where my guests could enjoy ambitious cooking using the best of the fantastic ingredients that the region has to offer. When we opened The London Carriage Works and Hope Street Hotel I fulfilled a life-long dream and I feel that the two operations complement each other perfectly."
Paul Askew, Chef Patron The London Carriage Works
Paul Askew is the son of a merchant navy sea captain. He has collected his childhood flavours of South East Asia and the Middle East, thrown in strong New York influences and created a modern international menu with a strong emphasis on the use of local, organic and fresh seasonal produce. Paul, a key figure within the industry, was named Merseyside's Food Tourism Champion to help improve and promote the regions food tourism.

Paul Taylor

Paul is partner of the Fat Loaf Restaurants in Sale and Altringham, a grand finalist of the Gordon Ramsey Scholarship, was part of Marco Pierre Whites handpicked team for the Lowry Hotel opening in Manchester and has spent time at the Michelin starred Longueville Manor in Jersey along the way. Paul, 23, also worked with Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing after winning a culinary scholarship sponsored by none other than Gordon Ramsay.

Paul Taylor and partner Timothy Wood opened The Fat Loaf in Sale in 2004, going to great lengths to ensure that all the ingredients were locally sourced and of the very best quality and therefore generating rave reviews. The Fat Loaf in Altringham opened its doors late 2006 and slowly but surely gained an equally loyal following in an area not exactly packed with decent restaurants.

When asked what inspired him to become a chef Taylor says,

“At 14 I started a part time job in the evenings and weekends working in a restaurant in Knutsford. I was inspired by the head chef; he was firm, fair & very passionate. Looking back the food was nothing out of the ordinary but where others would have cut corners he made everything fresh, and he would never waste produce, which is the sign of a good chef.”

Andrew Nutter
Andrew Nutter is one of the most exciting and innovative of the new breed of celebrity chefs to hit the culinary circuit.

He has had a remarkable career, at thirteen he was runner up in the national junior cook of the year award then a finalist in the Daily Mail Cook of the Year which led to him being offered a job by Anton Edelmann at London’s Savoy Hotel as soon as he left school.

After three years intensive and invaluable training at the Savoy, Andrew moved to France for two years working in Michelin starred restaurants all over France. The next move was back to London to the Greenhouse Restaurant under the watchful eye of Gary Rhodes.

At the tender age of 21 with the backing of his family `Nutters` was launched and within a few months was packed every night. Two years ago larger premises were needed and Nutters is now housed in the lavish setting of an 18th century manor house, set in 6 ½ acres of groomed parkland with spectacular views across Ashworth moors, Greater Manchester and beyond. All this makes perfect settings for the extravagance of Andrew Nutters cuisine.

Awards soon followed and Andrew clinched The Lancashire Chef Of The Year and then the Young Mancunian Business Man of the Year. Andrew hit the big time when he turned up at the awards dinner with NUTTER shaved into the back of his head. T.V companies took interest and before he knew it he was on Ready Steady Cook! Afternoon Live, Granada cult strand “THE FLYING CHEF” and his own radical channel 5 series “UTTER NUTTER”.

He works alongside all the main supermarkets, endorsing and promoting products and he has filmed two videos and recipe leaflet promoting local and regional produce. He is a great believer in giving back to the local community and in recent years has raised £20,000 for the N.S.P.C.C and CHRISTIES hospital Manchester.

Andrew was a regular guest on BBC Great Food Live! and appears on Daily Cooks with Antony Worral Thomson.

Michael Reimenschneider

Since graduating first in the rankings of German Youth Masters of Cooking in 2001, Michael has honed his skills, working in distinguished Michelin starred kitchens across Europe and Britain. In late summer 2007 he joined the Old Coastguard Hotel in Mousehole as Head Chef to Barney Mason's Executive Head Chef and together they raised the standard of traditional food, based on seasonal and local ingredients.

When Michael heard that chef Ben Tunnicliffe intended to leave The Abbey, Penzance he and the Old Coastguard's owner Bill Treloar approached proprietors Michael and Jean Cox about taking over the lease. With the Coxs' seal of approval, they opened to the public within four days of receiving the keys and brought a new culinary vocabulary to the south west. Chef-Patron Michael took over the stove from Ben Tunnicliffe and moved from his position as Executive Head Chef at the two AA Rosette Old Coastguard Hotel where he still consults.

The Good Food Guide 2009 has awarded The Abbey 6/10, indicating: “Exemplary cooking skills, innovative ideas, impeccable ingredients and an element of excitement.” The review states that Michael’s “creative and confident cooking has made quite a splash locally.”

In September of this year Swiss born Michael bought the Michelin-starred Juniper restaurant in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. Juniper will keep its Michelin star until January but Riemenschneider warned it would be unlikely that it will retain it because Michelin won’t have sufficient time to assess it.

He stated: “I do not want [Juniper] to be an “in” restaurant because “in” restaurants always go out of fashion. I want people to appreciate the food and not come there because they can be seen in it. I am all about standards in food.”

Riemenschneider confirmed he is to lead his brigade each night to replicate the winning formula that has been created at The Abbey and keep up the same high standard in Altringham. So committed is he to the quality and freshness of his ingredients Michael has arranged for a Newlyn fisherman to deliver daily the fish which will shine on a menu constantly updated by what’s just been landed from the Atlantic.

Brian Mellor
At the end of the day when the pots & pans are put away, Brian is just someone who enjoys brilliant food and sharing his knowledge with people. Whether you’re a Professional chef, an avid foodie, a school group or taking your first steps in the kitchen you’ll find his enthusiasm infectious.
Plush penthouses, bustling brasseries, executive dining rooms and historic country inn’s sit neatly in his portfolio as do college kitchens, staff restaurants and rain sodden farmers markets. At one time, you’d even have found him sailing in ships’ Galleys advising and training multi national crews, and yes…clinging on for life in rough seas! That’s without even mentioning the lovingly rescued monastery in Manchester which is now a unique venue. Along the way, he’s studied some more picking up advanced qualifications, teaching certificates and several awards from professional bodies and the media. He’s also been awarded Master Craftsman status by the Craft Guild of Chefs.
He has taught dozens of dinner ladies, been Chairman of Judges for many years for a Young Chefs Competition and sat on the panel to select the Northern Chef of the Year. You’ll see him on the bill at Festivals with high profile chefs/other award winning chefs, or you’ll spot him hosting Culinary theatres helping talented (but nervous) Chefs take their first steps into the public arena. It seems he just can’t stop cooking!
All in all, his experiences and dealings with a variety of businesses and people means that he has a depth of knowledge and understanding you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
So, what’s next? He’s survived thousands of hot hectic services, served millions of plates of food, managed scores of Chefs and inspired fellow cooks across Europe, but Brian is determined to delve deeper into the world of food.
Consequently he’s installed a kitchen on a farm. It’s not just any farm though its 250 acres that has been farmed by the Pimbley family for four generations growing a range of superb produce. It was meant to be a peaceful little place where Brian could stay inspired and create recipes. However it seems that he wasn’t the only one wanting to get close to the ingredients. Now small groups of people can come and cook with Brian on the farm and share the secrets of a Master Chef of Great Britain.

Simon Radley
Executive Chef Simon Radley started at The Chester Grosvenor and Spa in 1986, when he joined the hotel as a Chef de Partie, and went on to become Head Chef in the space of seven years.

During the hotel's closure for extensive refurbishment in 1987, Simon took a 12-month secondment to broaden his experience, working under Chef Paul Gayler at Inigo Jones in London.

In 1991 his skills were further enhanced when, acting as The Chester Grosvenor's ambassador, he spent time at the legendary Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong and The Oriental in Bangkok, consistently rated by the international business community as one of the best hotels in the world.

Says Jonathan Slater, The Chester Grosvenor's Managing Director: 'Recognising a need to widen his experience, Simon left us in 1994 and went first to another Small Luxury Hotel of the World - New Hall, near Birmingham - as Executive Chef and then latterly, he took over the same role at Nunsmere Hall at Oakmere, Cheshire.'

Simon Radley returned to The Chester Grosvenor and Spa in June 1998, after an absence of four years, and has truly established his mark on The Chester Grosvenor and Spa with the retention of a Michelin star for the 18th consecutive year.

Nigel Haworth
Born in Accrington, Lancashire, attended Accrington & Rossendale Catering College, before leaving to work five seasons, one in Gleneagles Scotland and four in Switzerland.
In March 1984 he began the challenging role of Head Chef at Northcote Manor and became joint Managing Director and 50% shareholder in 1989.
Awarded Michelin Star in January 1996 and successfully retained this to present date, awarded the Prince Philip medal with City & Guilds in 2004, a lifetime achievement award at the Northern Hospitality Awards 2006, together with many other accolades and awards through his career.
Nigel Haworth has long had a passion for all things local, not just the specialties of a region famous for its enviable line-up of traditional dishes, but also for local food heroes. These are the home-grown band of artisan suppliers who bring him the pick of the crop, the leanest cuts and the catch of the day. That is why Nigel Haworth will make sure wherever possible all the dishes appearing on his menus at Northcote Manor and particularly at The Three Fishes at Mitton and The Highwayman at Kirkby Lonsdale feature produce from people in the region, people he knows and trusts and who are fast becoming recognised as some of Britain's leading producers.