ABOUT OUR CHEF
Antony Worrall Thompson was born in 1951 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Public-school educated (Kings School, Canterbury) Antony then studied Hotel and Catering Management at Westminster College. He worked for various establishments in Essex, much to the horror of his grandmother who refused to write to him because she could not bring herself to write the word Essex on the envelope, before moving to London to become sous chef at Brinkley’s Restaurant in the Fulham Road. He became head chef after only one month.
In 1979 he took six months ‘educational sabbatical’ in France, eating and working in 3-star establishments. Returning to Brinkley’s as head chef, Antony changed the menus according to his experience gained in France. Next was Dan’s Restaurant in Chelsea, where, as head chef he changed its character from café to haute cuisine. In 1981 Antony opened Ménage a Trois in Knightsbridge (widely known to be the Princess of Wales’ favourite restaurant) to positive reviews: it was the only restaurant in London to serve just starters and puddings.
He was the first chef to be chosen to open and operate the restaurant at One Ninety Queen’s Gate, which won the Time Out Eating Guide’s Best New Restaurant award in 1990 and featured in Egon Ronay’s Guide 1991. In 1990, Antony opened Bistro 190 adjoining One Ninety Queen’s Gate, with a Mediterranean-biased menu and affordable prices. He became Managing Director of the Simpsons of Cornhill Group for which he launched dell’Ugo in Frith Street, where the accent was on hearty Mediterranean and British food. Using this formula he opened Zoe in St. Christopher’s Place to rave reviews, Café dell’Ugo in the City of London, Atrium in Westminster, Palio in Notting Hill Gate, Drones in Belgravia and De Cecco in Parsons Green.
Antony left the Simpsons of Cornhill group in 1997 to open Woz. He now runs the popular restaurant Notting Grill in Holland Park and Kew Grill, in Richmond, which specialise in organic meat, fish and vegetables. Antony has two pubs, The Greyhound Freehouse and Grill in Rotherfield Peppard and The Lamb Bar and Kitchen at Satwell, both near Henley on Thames. Barnes Grill in Barnes, SW13, his latest restaurant, opened in June 2006.
In March 1988 he won the Mouton Rothschild Menu Competition, and shortly before in December 1987 the most prestigious accolade: the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne (MOGB) – the chef’s Oscar – which is the Academy of Culinary Arts competition, held every four years, to find the most talented chefs in the country. He is one of only seven chefs in the UK to have won the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne (MOGB) a lifelong title that's considered the chef’s Oscar.
In 1998 Antony became resident studio chef and main presenter for BBC2’s Food & Drink programme. He was a Ready Steady Cook regular and filmed several of his own series for Carlton Food Network. He is increasingly in demand by broadcasters to comment on serious food issues such as diabetes, obesity, nutrition and the eating habits of children.
He is passionate about organic farming and grows many herbs and vegetables for his restaurants. He and his wife Jay, their two young children, and a brood of animals, including twelve Middle White pigs, live at his arts and crafts-style house near the River Thames. Antony has an avocado farm in Spain where they retreat when they have time ■
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You can visit Antony's own website by clicking here