Latest news with #BBCMasterChef
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meet the MasterChef star who's head chef at Stove Restaurant
As part of our Meet the Chef series, we're talking to some of Cumbria's finest about their lives in and out of the kitchen. This week, it's the turn of Stove Restaurant's Radha Kaushal-Bolland What is your current role and what does it involve? I'm the head chef at Stove Restaurant, located on the Langdale Estate in Ambleside. I lead a talented and growing kitchen team, working alongside estate chef Duncan McKay to deliver a memorable dining experience for every guest. I'm responsible for menu design, ingredient sourcing, kitchen operations, and team development. How long have you been a chef? I've been working in professional kitchens since 2022, after reaching the final of BBC MasterChef. While my professional journey is relatively recent, my passion for food runs deep, shaped by my dual heritage, and inspired by both my parents and grandparents, who taught me the value of cooking with heart and soul. My paternal great-grandfather was a baker, and remarkably, that skill helped him survive as a prisoner of war during the Second World War, when he became a cook for his captors. That story has always stayed with me. How did you first get into cooking? I grew up surrounded by the aromas of my mum and grandma cooking homemade Indian food, and that's where my love for flavour and spice was born. For many years, cooking was my creative outlet outside of law. But after applying for BBC MasterChef and reaching the final, I knew this was more than a passion, it was my purpose. Where did you learn your craft? I'm proudly self-taught, though I've built my professional experience in both fine dining country estate kitchens and bustling city-centre restaurants. I believe in continuous learning, from people, mistakes, and the seasons. I'm also hugely grateful for what MasterChef taught me about cooking under pressure, staying focused, and trusting your instincts. What was your first job in hospitality? My first role in hospitality was in a busy, modern British restaurant, where I quickly learned to work the line, prep fast, and stay calm under pressure. (Image: Stove Restaurant) What is your signature dish? My signature dish has to be a dessert with a cocktail pairing. Whenever I dine out, I always look at the pudding menu first and plan my meal backwards. If you're looking for a savoury option, then I would choose my Rainbow Vegetable Bhaji Burger. It's made with spiced shredded vegetables, served in a brioche bun with mango mayonnaise and a pickled red cabbage and onion slaw. It's colourful, flavourful, and packed with character. What's been your worst cooking disaster? Early on in my career, I once mixed up sugar and salt in a pastry cream and piped it into tart shells just before service. It was a classic rookie error, and had I tasted the mixture, I would've caught the mistake in time. That moment drilled into me the absolute importance of tasting everything, even the basics. What are your culinary ambitions? I'm still only 27, and even though I'm young, I already consider this my second career. Law was my first. But I've found my purpose in the kitchen, and I'm fully committed to this new chapter.
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
TV chef Gordon Ramsay's burger restaurant chain with nine UK locations suddenly closes town centre site
The spot hasn't welcomed in diners for nearly two months Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GORDON Ramsay burger restaurant looks set to shutter permanently after a lengthy closure. The celebrated chef's Street Burger location at Reading's Oracle Shopping Centre previously announced that it had temporarily closed until March 4. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Gordon Ramsay's Street Burger location at Reading's Oracle Shopping Centre initially shut on March 4 Credit: Google Street View 2 There are seven Street Burger locations dotted across the UK Credit: gordonramsayburger/Instagram But the spot now looks set to pull the plug permanently after the site told punters it would be "closed until further notice." Gordon Ramsay's restaurant set up shop at the shopping centre in 2021 to replace Giraffe, which originally stood by the riverside alongside many other popular businesses. The Sun has contacted Gordon Ramsay Restaurants for comment. Last year was a bad 12 months for celebrity chefs after swathes of their restaurants failed. Even BBC MasterChef judges haven't been saved amid a spate of shocking closures as the hospitality industry feels extra pressure this year. Marco Pierre White, Simon Rimmer and Tony Rodd, to name a few, won over viewers' hearts on screen - but when it comes to running their own restaurant chains, things haven't always been as smooth. One of those closures is Gordon's protege and TV star Mark Sargeant, 51, has been forced to close down his restaurant in Kent. The chef announced the news in an email sent to loyal customers. As seen by Kent Online, the message read: "It is with deep regret that we announce the closure of The Restaurant MS. 'This decision, made after careful consideration, has not been easy. Huddersfield Station Closure: £70 Million Revamp Set to Transform Travel "However, the challenging market conditions and an unpredictable future have compelled us to take this step. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers, dedicated employees, and supportive suppliers for their unwavering support since our inception, as we could not have achieved this journey without each of you." Another email from bosses read: "All voucher holders will be contacted shortly. 'Please be advised that we can only communicate with the individual who purchased the voucher. "We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you.' It comes amid a challenging time for independent businesses, where restaurants, pubs, and cafes have been forced to shut down. This has often been associated with the rising cost of living and subsequent decline in dining out. Even well-known pizza chains have been faced with closures, like Papa Johns which confirmed that 43 of its restaurants would shut down in the coming months. More closures could be on the horizon due to upcoming hikes in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage.
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
TV chef Gordon Ramsay's burger restaurant chain with nine UK locations suddenly closes town centre site
A GORDON Ramsay burger restaurant looks set to shutter permanently after a lengthy closure. The celebrated chef's Street Burger location at Reading's Oracle Shopping Centre previously announced that it had temporarily closed until March 4. 2 2 But the spot now looks set to pull the plug permanently after the site told punters it would be "closed until further notice." Gordon Ramsay's restaurant set up shop at the shopping centre in 2021 to replace Giraffe, which originally stood by the riverside alongside many other popular businesses. The Sun has contacted Gordon Ramsay Restaurants for comment. Last year was a bad 12 months for celebrity chefs after swathes of their restaurants failed. Even BBC MasterChef judges haven't been saved amid a spate of shocking closures as the hospitality industry feels extra pressure this year. Marco Pierre White, Simon Rimmer and Tony Rodd, to name a few, won over viewers' hearts on screen - but when it comes to running their own restaurant chains, things haven't always been as smooth. One of those closures is Gordon's protege and TV star Mark Sargeant, 51, has been forced to close down his restaurant in Kent. The chef announced the news in an email sent to loyal customers. As seen by Kent Online, the message read: "It is with deep regret that we announce the closure of The Restaurant MS. 'This decision, made after careful consideration, has not been easy. "However, the challenging market conditions and an unpredictable future have compelled us to take this step. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued customers, dedicated employees, and supportive suppliers for their unwavering support since our inception, as we could not have achieved this journey without each of you." Another email from bosses read: "All voucher holders will be contacted shortly. 'Please be advised that we can only communicate with the individual who purchased the voucher. "We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you.' It comes amid a challenging time for independent businesses, where restaurants, pubs, and cafes have been forced to shut down. This has often been associated with the rising cost of living and subsequent decline in dining out. Even well-known pizza chains have been faced with closures, like Papa Johns which confirmed that 43 of its restaurants would shut down in the coming months. More closures could be on the horizon due to upcoming hikes in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
