James Tanner
- For the paediatrician, see James Mourilyan Tanner. For the British dramatist, see James T. Tanner.
James Tanner (born 1976) is a British chef and television personality. He currently appears on the BBC cookery programme Ready Steady Cook.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Tanner began his catering career, preparing salads and starters, in "Brookers Oast" a Whitbread Brewers Fayre in Kent in the early 1990s After studying hotel management[1] he worked in the kitchens of several restaurants, often with his older brother, fellow celebrity chef Chris Tanner.[2] He worked his way up through the ranks until he was invited by the Roux brothers, Michel and Albert, to move to the US[3] and work in upstate New York, where he was Chef de partie at the Lake Placid Lodge. Within four months he was promoted to junior Sous-chef.[1]
He worked his way up the ranks and on returning to England took a job under Martin Blunos at the two Michelin-starred restaurant Lettonie in Bath before a Head Chef role at Right on the Green in Kent.[1]
In 1999, aged 23, Tanner and his brother opened "Tanners Restaurant" in Plymouth.[4][5]
In Spring 2006 Tanner and his brother opened a second restaurant in Plymouth. The Barbican Kitchen is a brasserie sited within the Plymouth Gin Distillery, a 500 year old building in the heart of Plymouth's oldest area, The Barbican.[6] In April 2011, the Tanner brothers opened "The Kitchen Cafe" alongside The Barbican Kitchen, which serves snack style foods as an offshoot from the brasserie style Barbican Kitchen. [7]
[edit] TV career
Tanner's television career began in 2002 when he and brother made their first TV appearance on a competition called 'Chef Stars', a promotion run by UKTV Food and broadcast predominantly on their now cancelled Great Food Live. The brothers did not make it through to the final.
Tanner became a semi-regular guest on Great Food Live which was shot at the same studios as Ready Steady Cook. He was recommended to audition for the show and became a regular. At the heart of his style during his TV appearances is the repetition of his catchphrase "Like so", used in order to make various culinary techniques seem easy, encouraging members of the public to give them a try, and also to assuage viewers' fears of unfamiliar ingredients, as well as "dig down deep".
Tanner also appears on Saturday Kitchen.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "BBC Biography". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/chef_biogs/t.shtml?james_tanner. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Chefs of the future cook up a storm". The Herald. 21 June 2008. http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Chefs-future-cook-storm/article-194478-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Brothers' fine food oasis". Europe Intelligence Wire. 19 March 2005. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19171613_ITM. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Flavour fest puts top chefs to test.". Europe Intelligence Wire. 19 August 2004. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13062804_ITM. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "James Tanner at the Nottingham Food and Drink Festival". Nottingham Evening Post. 11 September 2009. http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/lifeandstyle/Food-Focus-James-Tanner-Nottingham-Food-Drink-Festival/article-1321223-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ http://www.plymouthyoungchamber.co.uk/tanners.htm
- ^ http://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/tanners-plymouth/
