Theo Randall’s passion for food was born from regular family holidays across Europe and from a young age he was destined for a culinary future. His career began as a waiter at London’s acclaimed Chez Max and after only a few weeks, Max Magarian noted Theo’s talents and invited him to work in the kitchen where he spent the next four years following an apprenticeship in classic French cuisine.

In 1989, Theo joined the up-and-coming River Café and quickly found his culinary home with the legendary Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray MBE. After a year’s secondment cooking alongside Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, Theo returned to The River Café and brought inspiration from the bountiful Californian produce he had been working with.

Theo then remained at River Café for a further 15 years as head chef and it was under his patronage that the restaurant received its first Michelin star in 1997. He left to launch Theo Randall at the InterContinental, which opened in November 2006. His commitment to delivering rustic produce-driven Italian food from the prestigious address of No. 1 Park Lane has earned him loyal followers and rave reviews from critics and food-lovers.

While he is a regular on national television, including BBC One’s, Saturday Kitchen, Theo remains true to his culinary roots and can be found at the restaurant most services. He has published three successful recipe books: PASTA (2006), My Simple Italian (2015) and The Italian Deli Cookbook (2021), and his latest book, The Italian Pantry, released on 1 September 2022.