Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White(born 11 December 1961) is an English chef, restaurateur, and television personality.In 1995, he became the youngest chef to earn threeMichelin stars. He has trained chefs includingMario Batali,Shannon Bennett,Gordon Ramsay,Curtis Stone,Phil Howard, andStephen Terry.He has been dubbed "the firstcelebrity chef"and theenfant terribleof the UK restaurant scene.
Marco Pierre White was born inLeeds,West Riding of Yorkshireon 11 December 1961,the third of four sons to Maria-Rosa Gallina, an Italian immigrant fromVeneto, and Frank White, a chef. When Marco was six, his mother died from acerebral haemorrhagecaused by complications from the birth of his younger brother. He leftAllerton High Schoolin Leeds without any qualificationsand decided to train as a chef like his father.
White first trained at Hotel St George inHarrogateand then at theBox TreeinIlkley.In 1981, he moved to London with, he claimed, "£7.36, a box of books, and a bag of clothes", and began his classical training as acommiswithAlbertandMichel RouxatLe Gavroche.He continued his training underPierre KoffmanatLa Tante Claire, moving to work in the kitchen ofRaymond BlancatLe Manoir,and later withNico Ladenisof Chez Nico at Ninety Park Lane. He then branched out on his own, working in the kitchen at the Six Bells public house in theKings Roadwith assistantMario Batali.
In 1987, White openedHarveysinWandsworth Common, London, where he won his firstMichelin staralmost immediately, and his second a year later.He also won the Newcomer Award at the 1987The Catey Awards, run byThe Caterermagazine.
White's protégés who worked at Harveys includeGordon Ramsay,Phil Howard,Stephen Terry, andÉric Chavot.
He later became chef-patron ofThe Restaurant Marco Pierre Whitein the dining room at the former Hyde Park Hotel, where he won the third Michelin star, and then moved to the Oak Room at theLe Méridien Piccadilly Hotel.
In 1994, White became the youngest chef to achieve three Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant.His record was surpassed byMassimiliano Alajmoin 2002, who achieved three stars at the age of 28.
Although White worked for seventeen years to pursue his ambition, he ultimately found that, in spite of his accomplishments, recognition and fame, his career did not provide him with adequate returns in his personal life. So, in 1999, he retired and returned his Michelin stars.
White announced his retirement from the kitchen in 1999, and cooked his final meal for a paying customer on 23 December at the Oak Room.He also returned all his Michelin stars. After his retirement from cooking, he became a restaurateur. Together withJimmy Lahoud, he set up White Star Line Ltd, which they operated together for several years before ending their partnership in 2007.
In 2008, White opened his first steakhouse, the  "MPW Steak & Alehouse"with James Robertson in theSquare Milein London. As co-owners, since 2010 they also operated the Kings Road Steakhouse & GrillinChelsea. James Robertson had worked for White as amaître d'hôtel, between 1999 and 2003. In May 2016, the two restaurants became the London Steakhouse Co.
White had a stake in the Yew Tree Inn, a 17th-century dining pub nearHighclereinHampshire, although following an acrimonious falling out with his business partners the pub was sold. This was the setting for much of "Marco's Great British Feast", screened onITVin the summer of 2008. In January 2009, it was reported that White was to charge £5 for a pint ofreal aleat the venue, making the Yew Tree "one of the most expensive places to drink British real ale in the country".White said: "Most pubs undercharge. You're not just paying for beer, you're paying for the place you drink it in and the people who serve it."
In 2010, White met businessman Nick Taplin, owner of a four-star hotel in North Somerset (UK) called Cadbury House and operator of other venues in the UK. Taplin was looking to improve the in-house restaurant offering across his hotel estate and in October 2010, following discussions with White, opened a Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at Cadbury House as a franchisee. This was closely followed by restaurants at Hoole Hall in Chester and The Cube in Birmingham.
As more hotel owners started making enquiries about a Marco Pierre White restaurant, in 2013, White developed a master franchise with Taplin, and together launched Black And White Hospitality. The business operates a franchise model allowing property owners or investors to open one of the eight Marco Pierre White branded restaurants within their property including Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill, Mr White's English Chophouse, Wheeler's of St James's Oyster Bar & Grill Room, Koffmann & Mr White's, Marco's New York Italian, Wheeler's Fish & Chips, Bardolino Pizzeria Bellini & Espresso Bar and Marconi Coffee & Juice Bar.
White has published several books, including the cookbookWhite Heat, an autobiography titledWhite Slave(retitledThe Devil in the Kitchenin North America and in the paperback version),and the recipe collectionWild Food from Land and Sea.
In September 2007, White was the head chef in ITV'sHell's Kitchentelevision series.
In one episode, White said, "I don't think it was apikey'spicnic tonight." The remark prompted criticism from theCommission for Racial Equality. However, the show was defended by an ITV spokesman, who indicated that warnings about its content were given before transmission, and that White's comment had been challenged by one of the contestants,Lee Ryan.The book accompanying the show,Marco Pierre White in Hell's Kitchen, was published on 23 August 2007 byEbury Press.
White returned toITV's screens to presentthe 4th series ofHell's Kitchenin 2009.
White presentedHell's Kitchen Australiafor theSeven Networkwhich aired in 2017.White had previously been working with rival programmeMasterchef, but quit in retaliationafterMatt Preston, a judge on the Masterchef, alleged that White's son spent $500,000 of his father's money on drugs and prostitution.
White appears in UK adverts forKnorrstock cubes and stock pots. In answer to criticisms that he had "sold himself out as a chef" by acting as a brand ambassador for such products he said, "by working with companies like Knorr it allows me to stand onto a bigger stage and enrich people's lives... Michelin stars, they're my past."
In 2013, White apologised after being accused ofcultural appropriationover an online video produced for Knorr in which he demonstrated how to cookrice and peas.
In 2008, White hostedan American versionofAustraliancooking competition seriesThe Chopping Block.The series, produced byGranada America, the production company behind the American version ofHell's Kitchen, aired onNBCin March 2009 but was pulled after three episodes due to low ratings. After a three-month hiatus,Chopping Blockreturned to complete its season.
On 6 July 2011, White was a guest judge onMasterchef Australiamentoring the cooks in an elimination round. On 15 June 2014, he began a week-long appearance onMasterchef Australiapresiding over a mystery box challenge, an invention test and a pressure test. He made further appearances in the series in May and July 2015, and May 2016.
On 27 August 2011, White appeared on the UK version ofCelebrity Big Brotherto set a cooking task.
In 2012, White fronted a new show forChannel 5calledMarco Pierre White's Kitchen Wars. It saw the UK's best restaurant partnerships balance food with front of house service, fighting for a place in a specially designed studio restaurant, where the top couples are each given their own kitchen and set of diners to impress.It received positive reviews from critics inThe GuardianandThe Independent.
White was a principal judge inMasterchef Australia: The Professionals, which started on 20 January 2013.White co-hosted the show with regularMasterchef AustraliahostMatt Preston.
On 11 December 2014, White appeared on the South African version ofMasterchef,which aired onM-Net. He had a cook-along in the final challenge in the finals between Siphokazi and Roxi. On 6 September 2015, White appeared on the New Zealand version ofMasterChef,which aired onTV3 (New Zealand). He was the Head Chef/Mentor of a team challenge consisting of the final 8.
He partnered with the BBC to make digital content.
During his early career working in the kitchen at Harveys, White regularly ejected patrons from the restaurant if he took offence at their comments.When a customer asked if he could have chips with his lunch, White hand-cut and personally cooked the chips, but charged the customer £25 for his time.
During his time at Harveys, White would regularly act unpredictably, from throwing cheese plates onto the wall to assaulting his head chef who had recently broken his leg. He later said that he "used to go fucking insane".A young chef at Harveys who once complained of heat in the kitchen had the back of his chef's jacket and trousers cut open by White with a sharpparing knife.White also once made a youngGordon Ramsaycry while Ramsay worked for him, and later said, "I don't recall what he'd done wrong but I yelled at him and he lost it. Gordon crouched down in the corner of the kitchen, buried his head in his hands and started sobbing."
Following comments made byMasterChef AustraliajudgeMatt Prestonabout Marco Pierre White Jr spending $500,000 of his father's money on drugs and prostitution,White stopped making guest appearances on the show after the8th seasonand joined the rival programmeHell's Kitchen Australiain retaliation.In 2016, whilst onThe Kyle and Jackie O Show, Preston was asked aboutMarco Jr.’s time onBig Brother UK, which included his alleged on-air sex and the above admission of purchasing illicit drugs and sex work. Preston said: "I think it is that terrible thing when you have kids that go off the rails... the drugs might be a little bit of a worry". White later said of Preston that "I will never forgive that man [Preston]... with my hand on my mother's grave I will get that man."White eventually returned to the programme inseason 14, after Preston had left the show.
In September 2017, White opened a new restaurant inPlymouth. At the opening, he was critical of the quality of English wine, describing it as "nonsense" and also saying, "London is the No 1 food destination, full stop. It has the talent and (the people who can pay) the prices ... How many three-Michelin-star restaurants doesCornwallhave? None."
He went on, however, to praise the efforts of a rival hotel in the city, theDuke of Cornwall, describing it as "a lovely place". He also added that while he had not eaten food produced byNathan Outlaw, a Cornish Michelin star chef, he had read his books and seen his recipes and believed "he cooks very well".
White has been married three times. His first wife was Alex McArthur, whom he married atChelsea Register Officeon 8 June 1988.They had a daughter, Letitia, before divorcing in 1990.
White met 21-year-old modelLisa Butcherat a London nightclub, and they were engaged within three weeks.Engaged for two months, Butcher sold the coverage of the wedding in a £20,000 deal withHello!magazine. The wedding took place at theBrompton Oratoryon 15 August 1992.
In 1992, White began an affair with Matilde Conejero, the bar manager at The Canteen inChelsea Harbour,and divorced Butcher for her. The couple had two sons and a daughter, and were married at the Belvedere restaurant inHolland Parkon 7 April 2000. After White became friends with city financierRobin Saunders, Conejero suspected an affair between the two; they had a fight in January 2005, after which White spent 14 hours in the cells ofNotting Hillpolice station.They separated some time later.
White has been a supporter of theConservative Partyand the football teamManchester City FC.