Tom Kerridge is the British chef and restaurateur behind The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars. Born Thomas Kerridge on 27 July 1973 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, he opened The Hand and Flowers with his wife Beth in April 2005 and earned the first Michelin star within a year. The second star followed in 2012, a historic moment for British pub dining, and both stars are retained in the 2026 Michelin Guide United Kingdom. The restaurant remains one of the most difficult reservations in British hospitality 20 years after opening.
Kerridge’s portfolio now extends beyond Marlow to The Coach (a Michelin-listed gastropub in Marlow), The Butcher’s Tap and Grill (Marlow and Chelsea), Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at the Corinthia London, and The Bull and Bear in Manchester. His television career runs through multiple BBC series including Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food (2013), Tom’s Fresh Start (2019), Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (2020), Marvellous Mrs Maisel (cameos), and most recently Tom Kerridge Cooks (2024-2025). Kerridge has been appointed MBE (2016) and OBE (2023) for services to hospitality.
TL;DR
- British chef born 27 July 1973 in Salisbury, Wiltshire
- Opened The Hand and Flowers with wife Beth in Marlow in April 2005
- First Michelin star 2005; second Michelin star 2012 (first pub in the world)
- Both stars retained in 2026 Michelin Guide United Kingdom
- Owns The Coach, The Butcher’s Tap and Grill, Kerridge’s Bar and Grill, The Bull and Bear
Tom Kerridge key facts
| Born | 27 July 1973, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Flagship restaurant | The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire (opened April 2005) |
| Michelin status | Two Michelin stars at The Hand and Flowers (2005 first, 2012 second); retained 2026 |
| Training | Calcot Manor (Gloucestershire); Adlards (Norwich); Odette’s (London); Rhodes in the Square (London) |
| Honours | MBE 2016; OBE 2023 |
| Other ventures | The Coach (Marlow); The Butcher’s Tap and Grill (Marlow, Chelsea); Kerridge’s Bar and Grill (Corinthia London); The Bull and Bear (Manchester) |
Early life and training of Tom Kerridge
Kerridge was born on 27 July 1973 in Salisbury, Wiltshire. His father left the family when Tom was 11, and he grew up with his mother and brother in Gloucester, where he attended Churchdown High School. He has spoken publicly about the financial difficulty of those years and the impact it had on his later approach to running kitchens. He began a kitchen career at 18 at Calcot Manor, a country-house hotel in Gloucestershire, and has remained in professional kitchens ever since.
Through the 1990s Kerridge trained at a series of important British kitchens: Adlards in Norwich (one Michelin star under David Adlard), Odette’s in Primrose Hill, London, and Rhodes in the Square in Dolphin Square, Westminster, under Gary Rhodes. He also worked briefly at Stephen Bull restaurants across London. Through Rhodes he met his future wife, Beth Cullen, a sculptor, whom he married in 2000. The couple’s relationship has been central to the later business: Beth manages creative direction and has been a co-principal at The Hand and Flowers since its opening.
In April 2005 Tom and Beth Kerridge opened The Hand and Flowers, a small 16th-century coaching inn at 126 West Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The pub had 28 covers at opening and a menu built around elevated British pub cooking: braised pork cheek, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, fish and chips, sticky toffee pudding. The first Michelin star came within 12 months of opening. In 2012 the restaurant earned a second Michelin star, becoming the first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars, an achievement that has not been repeated by any pub since.
Tom Kerridge career timeline
- 27 July 1973: Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire
- 1991: Begins kitchen career at Calcot Manor, Gloucestershire, at age 18
- Mid 1990s: Trains at Adlards in Norwich and Odette’s in London
- Late 1990s: Sous chef at Rhodes in the Square under Gary Rhodes
- 2000: Marries Beth Cullen
- April 2005: Opens The Hand and Flowers in Marlow with Beth
- 2005: The Hand and Flowers earns first Michelin star within 12 months of opening
- 2011: Debut cookbook Proper Pub Food published
- 2012: The Hand and Flowers earns second Michelin star (first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars)
- 2013: Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food television series on BBC Two
- 2014: Opens The Coach, a second Marlow gastropub
- 2016: Appointed MBE for services to the hospitality industry
- 2017: Opens Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at the Corinthia London
- 2018: Opens The Butcher’s Tap and Grill, a Marlow butcher shop and grill
- 2019: Tom’s Fresh Start television series on BBC Two
- 2020: Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain on BBC Two; Full Time Meals campaign with Marcus Rashford during pandemic
- 2021: Opens The Bull and Bear at the Stock Exchange Hotel, Manchester
- 2022: The Butcher’s Tap Chelsea opens
- 2023: Appointed OBE for services to hospitality
- 2024-2025: Tom Kerridge Cooks television series continues; Hand and Flowers celebrates 20 years of operation in April 2025
- 2026: Two Michelin stars retained at The Hand and Flowers in Michelin Guide United Kingdom
Tom Kerridge signature style: elevated British pub cooking
Kerridge’s central argument is that traditional British pub food, cooked at a professional fine-dining standard with classical French technique underneath, can reach Michelin two-star level. Before The Hand and Flowers earned its second star in 2012, no pub in the world had achieved this. The Kerridge approach keeps the pub format (relaxed dining room, tap-room bar, hearty portion sizes, British ingredient sourcing) while applying classical sauce work, long braising, and disciplined plating. The argument has held for more than two decades and shaped British pub dining at the premium level.
The second defining element is the everyday-affordability argument that runs parallel to the Michelin work. Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food (2011) and his BBC television series have focused on cooking well at home on a tight budget, and the 2020 Full Time Meals campaign with Marcus Rashford provided free recipes and food-bank support during the COVID pandemic. The two registers sit together in his public voice: the two-star pub at Marlow and the accessible everyday-cooking project on BBC Two.
The third pillar is the multi-format restaurant group. Beyond The Hand and Flowers, Kerridge operates The Coach and The Butcher’s Tap and Grill in Marlow, The Butcher’s Tap Chelsea, Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at the Corinthia London, and The Bull and Bear at the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester. The portfolio sits in an adjacent register to Angela Hartnett and the broader senior-British-chef hospitality-group template.
Notable dishes at The Hand and Flowers
Several Hand and Flowers dishes have become reference points in elevated British pub cooking. The slow-cooked duck with peas and smoked bacon has been on the menu in various forms since 2005 and is the single most-cited signature dish. Braised pork cheeks with Marsala, the whole Dover sole with brown shrimp butter, and the glazed omelette of smoked haddock are long-running signatures. The sticky toffee pudding with muscovado ice cream is the defining dessert. Kerridge cookbooks include Proper Pub Food (2011), Best Ever Dishes (2014), Tom Kerridge’s Dopamine Diet (2017), Fresh Start (2019), and Outdoor Cooking (2022). Multiple BBC television series document the kitchen approach across the past decade.
Tom Kerridge awards and recognition
- 2005: First Michelin star at The Hand and Flowers within 12 months of opening
- 2012: Second Michelin star at The Hand and Flowers (first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars)
- 2012-2026: Two Michelin stars retained continuously for 14 years
- 2016: Appointed MBE for services to the hospitality industry
- 2020: Full Time Meals campaign with Marcus Rashford recognised by British Parliament
- 2023: Appointed OBE for services to hospitality
- Multiple BAFTA TV Awards nominations and Royal Television Society Awards for BBC series
- 2026: Two Michelin stars at The Hand and Flowers retained in Michelin Guide United Kingdom
Tom Kerridge impact on British pub dining
Kerridge’s most concrete contribution is the 2012 second Michelin star at The Hand and Flowers, the first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars. The achievement reshaped expectations about what British pub cooking can be and opened the category of premium British pub dining at the Michelin level. More than a decade later The Hand and Flowers remains the only pub with two Michelin stars and is the reference point for the category.
The second contribution is the public-cooking voice through BBC Two and through the Full Time Meals campaign. The 2020 collaboration with Marcus Rashford during the COVID pandemic provided free recipes and food-bank support at national scale and moved Kerridge from celebrity-chef territory into public-policy voice. Together with Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett, Kerridge is one of the senior British chef voices heard most often in public debate on hospitality industry conditions.
The third contribution is the multi-format group structure. The combination of The Hand and Flowers at two-star level with The Coach, The Butcher’s Tap and Grill, Kerridge’s Bar and Grill and The Bull and Bear provides a British-chef hospitality template that other British chefs have followed. The portfolio sits adjacent to Raymond Blanc and the wider British-French senior-chef group model.
Tom Kerridge FAQ
How many Michelin stars does The Hand and Flowers have?
Two Michelin stars at The Hand and Flowers, earned in 2005 (first) and 2012 (second), retained in the 2026 Michelin Guide United Kingdom. The 2012 second star made The Hand and Flowers the first pub in the world to hold two Michelin stars, and it remains the only pub with two stars more than a decade later.
Where is The Hand and Flowers?
At 126 West Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. The 16th-century coaching inn opened as The Hand and Flowers under Tom and Beth Kerridge in April 2005. The dining room has 28 covers and the restaurant celebrated 20 years of operation in April 2025.
How many restaurants does Tom Kerridge own?
Six venues as of 2026: The Hand and Flowers (Marlow, two stars), The Coach (Marlow), The Butcher’s Tap and Grill (Marlow), The Butcher’s Tap Chelsea (London), Kerridge’s Bar and Grill (Corinthia London), and The Bull and Bear (Stock Exchange Hotel, Manchester).
Who trained Tom Kerridge?
He trained at Calcot Manor in Gloucestershire, Adlards in Norwich under David Adlard (one Michelin star), Odette’s in London, and at Rhodes in the Square under Gary Rhodes. His wife Beth Cullen has been co-principal at The Hand and Flowers since its April 2005 opening.
What is the Full Time Meals campaign?
A 2020 collaboration between Tom Kerridge and footballer Marcus Rashford during the COVID pandemic, providing free recipes and supporting food banks across the United Kingdom. The campaign was recognised by British Parliament and remains one of the highest-profile chef-led public campaigns of the pandemic era.
What is next for Tom Kerridge
After the 20-year anniversary of The Hand and Flowers in April 2025, Kerridge continues to operate the Marlow, London and Manchester venues and to present Tom Kerridge Cooks on BBC Two. Both Michelin stars at The Hand and Flowers are retained in the 2026 Michelin Guide United Kingdom. His public Instagram (@cheftomkerridge) is the best source for current updates.
