James Tanner facts for kids
| Born | Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England |
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Current restaurant(s)
The Barbican Kitchen
The Kentish Hare Catch |
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Previous restaurant(s)
Brookers Oast
Tanners Restaurant |
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Television show(s)
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James Tanner is a famous English chef and TV star. He is well-known for owning restaurants and cooking on many TV shows. With his brother Chris, he opened Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth in 1999. You might have seen him on TV shows like Ready Steady Cook and Lorraine.
Becoming a Chef
James Tanner was born in Maidstone, Kent. He is the third of four brothers.
He started his cooking journey in the early 1990s. He prepared salads and starters at a restaurant called "Brookers Oast" in Kent. After studying how to manage hotels, he worked in many restaurant kitchens. He often worked with his older brother, Chris Tanner, who is also a famous chef.
James worked his way up in the kitchen ranks. The famous Roux brothers, Michel and Albert, invited him to the US. He moved to upstate New York. There, he worked as a Chef de partie (a chef in charge of a specific section) at the Lake Placid Lodge. In just four months, he was promoted to junior Sous-chef (second in command in the kitchen).
Running Restaurants
After returning to England, James worked for chef Martin Blunos. This was at Lettonie, a restaurant in Bath with two Michelin stars. A Michelin star is a special award for excellent restaurants. After that, he became the Head Chef at Right on the Green in Kent.
In 1999, when James was 23, he and his brother Chris opened Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth. This restaurant closed in October 2014.
In 2006, the Tanner brothers opened a second restaurant in Plymouth. It was called The Barbican Kitchen. This restaurant is inside the Plymouth Gin Distillery, a very old building.
In 2007, James and Chris were given an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Plymouth University. This is a special award for their achievements. In 2011, they opened The Kitchen Cafe. This cafe served lighter, snack-style foods.
In May 2014, the brothers opened a pub called The Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Kent. In 2015, they opened a fish and chip restaurant. It was named Catch and is located in Looe, Cornwall.
On Television
James Tanner started his TV career in 2002. He and his brother first appeared on a show called Chef Stars. This show was on UKTV Food. They did not make it to the final round.
James became a regular guest on Great Food Live. This show was filmed in the same studios as Ready Steady Cook. He was asked to try out for Ready Steady Cook and became a regular chef on the show. On TV, he often uses his catchphrase "like so". He says this to make cooking techniques seem easy for viewers. He also says "dig down deep" to encourage people.
In 2009, he appeared in a series called Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Food. From 2010 to 2017, James was a regular chef on the ITV show Lorraine.
James has also appeared on Saturday Kitchen sometimes. He was often seen on Country House Sunday. He also made a few appearances on ITV's Saturday Cookbook and The Munch Box. In 2019, James Tanner was a chef on Channel 4's Beat the Chef.
Books
James Tanner has also written several cookbooks, often with his brother Chris.
- For Chocolate Lovers – Published 5 October 2006, co-written by Chris Tanner
- Ice Cream – Published 25 March 2008, co-written by Chris Tanner
- James Tanner Takes 5: Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients – Published 30 September 2010
- Old Favourites, New Twists: 100 classic recipes with a difference – Published 11 July 2013
