Marco Pierre White (born 11 December 1961) is an English chef and restaurateur. He is renowned by patrons and peers alike for having provided a highly creative and innovative impetus into contemporary international cuisine,^[1] and is known as much for his quick temper as for his exceptional skills as a chef. December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... French cuisine is considered to be one of the worlds most refined and elegant styles of cooking. ... Hells Kitchen is a British cookery-based ITV reality show. ... December 11 is the 345th day of the year (346th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chef (disambiguation). ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to order, to be consumed on the premises. ...

White has been dubbed the first celebrity chef,^[1] enfant terrible^[2] of the UK restaurant scene, or the Godfather^[1] of modern cooking. Having been awarded three Michelin stars, he has put English cooking on a par with classic haute cuisine.^[1] New York City 2006 First Michelin Red Guide for North America The Michelin Guide (Le Guide Michelin) is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. ... Haute cuisine (literally high cooking in French) or grande cuisine refers to the cooking of the grand restaurants and hotels of the western world. ...

Biography

Marco Pierre White was the third of four boys born to Italian Maria-Rosa Gallina, who had come to Britain to learn English, and chef Frank White,^[3] who had struck up a conversation with Maria at the Griffin Hotel in Leeds while he was playing cards. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ...

After marrying in 1958, they lived in a council house in Leeds and had sons Graham, Clive and Marco. Six years later, Maria gave birth to a fourth son, Craig Simon. Thirteen days afterwards, she collapsed and was taken back to St James's University Hospital, Leeds, where she died of a brain haemorrhage.^[4] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... St Jamess Hospital, Leeds, popularly known as Jimmys, is one of the United Kingdoms most famous hospitals. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ...

Formative training

White began his training in the kitchen at the Hotel St George in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and later at the Box Tree in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Arriving in London as a 16-year-old with "£7.36, a box of books and a bag of clothes",^[1] he began his classical training as a commis under Albert Roux and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche, a period that would lead Albert to describe him as "my little lamb". He continued his training under Pierre Koffman at La Tante Claire (now the site of Gordon Ramsay), moving to work in the kitchen of Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons and Nico Ladenis of Chez Nico at Ninety Park Lane. He then moved out on his own, working in the kitchen at the Six Bells public house in the Kings Road with assistant Mario Batali.^[1] , Harrogate is a large town in North Yorkshire, England. ... North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county, located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in that region and also partly in North East England. ... Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Coat of Arms of South Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, that has a population of 2. ... Cooks in training in Paris Chef is a term commonly used to refer to an individual who cooks professionally. ... Albert Roux (born 1936) is a French-born restaurateur working in Britain. ... Michel Roux (born 1941) is a French-born restaurateur working in Britain. ... Le Gavroche is an excellent restaurant on Upper Brook Street in Londons Mayfair. ... Gordon James Ramsay OBE (born November 8, 1966 in Johnstone, Scotland) is a Scottish celebrity chef and currently one of only three chefs in the UK whose restaurant is rated at three Michelin stars. ... Raymond Blanc (born November 19, 1949) is a French chef, born in Besançon, France, and now based in the United Kingdom. ... Kings Road is a major east-west street in Londons Chelsea. ... Mario Batali (b. ...

Career zenith

By the age of 33, Marco Pierre White had been awarded three Michelin stars, becoming the youngest Briton bestowed with this accolade.^[1] On completion of his training in 1987, he opened Harveys in Wandsworth Common, London (now the site of Chez Bruce), where he won his first Michelin star almost immediately and was awarded his second in 1988, before moving on to become chef-patron of the Oak Room at Le Meridien Piccadilly and the dining-room at the former Hyde Park Hotel. Chez Bruce is a restaurant located on Bellevue Road in the London borough of Wandsworth. ...

Although White worked relentlessly for 17 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 gave up his Michelin stars:

"I was being judged by people who had less knowledge than me, so what was it truly worth? I gave Michelin inspectors too much respect, and I belittled myself. I had three options: I could be a prisoner of my world and continue to work six days a week, I could live a lie and charge high prices and not be behind the stove or I could give my stars back, spend time with my children and re-invent myself."^[5]

During his early career in the kitchen, White regularly ejected patrons from his restaurants if he took offence at their comments.^[6] Similarly, when in the 1980s a city trader asked if he could have a side order of chips with his lunch, White hand-cut and personally cooked the chips but charged the customer £25 for the honour.^[6] 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 wielding a sharp paring knife.^[7]

Retirement, restaurateur, and global influence

Although White was the youngest chef in the world and the first Briton to be awarded three Michelin stars, he announced his retirement from the kitchen in 1999,^[1] cooking his final meal for a paying customer in December at the Oak Room, to develop his portfolio of restaurants through his eponymous White Star Line company. His London portfolio currently comprises Belvedere, Criterion, Drones, L'Escargot, Luciano's, Mirabelle, Quo Vadis and the Frankie's chain of Italian pizzerias in partnership with jockey Frankie Dettori. Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori in the parade ring at Glorious Goodwood in August 2004 Frankie Dettori in the parade ring at Newmarket after riding in the 2000 Guineas 2005 Frankie Dettori, MBE (born December 15, 1970) is a thoroughbred race horse jockey and celebrity. ...

White is also dining consultant to cruise line P&O Cruises. His dining Mediterranean restaurant, The White Room, is scheduled to be launched on the Ventura in April 2008. The Ventura should also have a Frankie's Bar and Grill on the top deck and White should oversee The Beach House, a restaurant designed specifically to appeal to families.

White has published several books, including White Heat (containing a photograph of a young Gordon Ramsay enjoying a rare moment of levity in the Harveys kitchen), an autobiography, White Slave (retitled The Devil in the Kitchen for its paperback edition),^[8] and Wild Food from Land and Sea. Gordon James Ramsay OBE (born November 8, 1966 in Johnstone, Scotland) is a Scottish celebrity chef and currently one of only three chefs in the UK whose restaurant is rated at three Michelin stars. ...

White has acted as a mentor to a number of prominent chefs of the current generation, such as his fellow three-star British recipients Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal. In Australia, they have also included: Donovan Cooke and Philippa Sibley formerly of est est est and Ondine, Shannon Bennett of Vue du Monde, Warren Turnbull of Assiette, and Curtis Stone of The Café Royal, Mirabelle and Quo Vadis, among others.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Fat Duck. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

White's recent autobiography includes a picture of Gordon Ramsay in tears, caused by Ramsay making a mistake and White shouting at him. In 2007, Ramsay admitted stealing the reservations book from his own Chelsea restaurant in 1998 and blaming the theft on White to prevent White being appointed as chef in his place.^[9]

White appeared in trailers for the 2004 film Layer Cake. For the novel, see Layer Cake (novel) Layer Cake (also spelled L4YER CAK3) is a 2004 British gangster thriller, directed by Matthew Vaughn. ...

Hell's Kitchen

As of 3 September 2007, White is the Head Chef in ITV's Hell's Kitchen television series. Asked in April 2007 whether he'd be following in the manner of the show's previous incumbent, Gordon Ramsay, White said, "Gordon did it his way I'll do it my way. We all have different ways of expressing ourselves. I want my emphasis to be on the food and the kitchens rather than the swearing."^[5] is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Hells Kitchen is a British cookery-based ITV reality show. ...

Marco also commented, "I might be the hardest person they'll have ever met but I've got a heart just as big. It's about picking people up off the floor and inspiring them to want to carry on 'til the end."^[10]

However, his publicity for Hell's Kitchen did not go as smoothly as planned during an interview for Radio Times' "One Final Question" feature. White took offence to one of the questions put by journalist Jenny Eden and abruptly ended the conversation. The next day, Eden received a copy of White's autobiography, The Devil in the Kitchen, with a note of apology inscribed inside the cover.^[11] Current Radio Times logo Radio Times is the BBCs weekly television and radio programme listings magazine. ...

At one point during the series, controversy ensued when White said, "I don't think it was a pikey's picnic tonight." The remark prompted criticism from the Commission for Racial Equality. However, the show was defended by an ITV spokesperson, 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.^[12] The Commission for Racial Equality is a non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom which tackles racial discrimination and promotes racial equality. ... Lee Ryan (born June 17, 1983 in Chatham, Kent) is a former member of the British boy band Blue and is now pursuing a solo career. ...

The accompanying book to the show, Marco Pierre White in Hell's Kitchen, was published on 23 August 2007 by Ebury Press.^[13] is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. ...

Personal life

White has been married three times. His first wife was Alex McArthur, who was a petite blonde daughter of a surgeon from Buckinghamshire, and who worked at his local fishmonger. After a year-long romance, they were married at Chelsea Register Office on 8 June 1988; neither family attended the ceremony. Alex broke her leg a few weeks before their daughter, Letitia, was born in July 1989. The marriage ended in January 1990.^[4] Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... Chelsea can refer to: Locations in the United Kingdom Chelsea, London, a neighbourhood in London Chelsea porcelain factory, a now defunct, but still famous, porcelain factory Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea, a former borough in London, now part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Chelsea Bridge, a bridge in... In England and Wales, The Register Office is primarily the local office for the registration of births, deaths and marriages (BD&M), and for the conducting of civil marriages. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

White then dated PR girl Nicky Barthorpe, who took him off to France to recuperate after he collapsed in August 1990 with exhaustion and high blood pressure. He moved into her flat in Chelsea on their return, but after nearly three years and upset at his lack of commitment, Nicky sent his belongings to Harveys in black bin bags to demonstrate her disgust at his affair with Mariella Frostrup.^[4] Frostrup Mariella Frostrup (born on November 12, 1962 in Oslo) is a journalist and television presenter, well known on British TV and radio for her mildly throaty voice, which was voted as the sexiest voice for female TV celebrities in the UK only a few years ago in a special...

White then met 21-year-old model Lisa Butcher outside Tramp nightclub in Jermyn Street, London. They were engaged within three weeks—White says today that he was so intoxicated by her looks that he forgot to think about her personality.^[14] Engaged for two months, Butcher sold the wedding in a £20,000 deal to Hello! magazine. The wedding took place at the Brompton Oratory on 15 August 1992, where Albert Roux was best man, and Lisa had forgotten to invite his father and brothers. White says he knew the marriage was a mistake when the saw her £3,000 floor-length, backless Bruce Oldfield dress with cutaway sides. Furious at the excess display of her body, White immediately told Butcher why, saying that Butcher looked as if she was dressed to go down the catwalk rather than the aisle.^[15] Butcher says of their 15-week marriage: "We went to the Scilly Isles for our honeymoon. On the first day Marco turned to me and said, 'I don’t love you.' We spent two miserable days when we didn’t speak and he went shark fishing. Then I left." In her one interview about the marriage, Butcher has hinted that something unspeakable happened on the honeymoon: "Something very bad did happen but I’m not going to say what it was. It really wasn't a very pleasant experience for me and my family."^[16] Lisa Butcher (born 1972 in London), is an English fashion model and TV presenter. ... Jermyn Street is a street in central London, England, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly that is famous for its resident shirtmakers. ... Hello! is a weekly magazine specialising in celebrity news and gossip, published in Britain. ... It is a Catholic church that was built in 1804. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Albert Roux (born 1936) is a French-born restaurateur working in Britain. ... A backless dress is a dress designed so as to expose the wearers back and. ... Bruce Oldfield (born July 14, 1950) is a British fashion designer. ... The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) are an archipelago of islands off the Cornish coast. ...

White described his bride as "a completely thick snob", while Butcher had three dates with Princess Diana's former boyfriend James Gilbey.^[1] But a brief reconciliation was scuppered with White's affair with Mati Conejero, the bartender at The Canteen.^[16] They started their affair in January 1993,^[17] and have two sons: Luciano (born December 1993); Marco Jnr; and a daughter, Mirabelle, born after White retired and the couple had married at the Belvedere on April 7, 2000. At the wedding, Gordon Ramsay turned up with a camera crew having told neither White nor his bride—the pair have not spoken since.^[3] After White became involved in business with city financier Robin Saunders, Mati suspected an affair between the two, and after a fight White spent 14 hours in the cells of Notting Hill police station in January 2005.^[17] White and Mati are presently divorcing, after she confronted two of his waitresses over affairs, and his close relationship with singer/actress Martine McCutcheon.^[3] April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Martine McCutcheon (born Martine Kimberley Sherri Ponting[1] on May 14, 1976) is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award winning actress. ...

White has a Japanese manservant called Mr Ishi, who chauffeurs him everywhere (as White has never learnt to drive).^[14] In his leisure time, White can be found freshwater fishing and game hunting.

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bill Buford is an American author and journalist. ... Alfred A. Knopf ( September 12, 1892 – August 11, 1984) was a leading American publisher of the 20th century. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

About Marco Pierre White

• Review of White's autobiography White Slave at The Open Critic
• Minibio of White at My Leeds
• Marco Pierre White profile (ranked 13th most influential chef in the CatererSearch 100 in 2006)

Official websites

• The White Room on board P&O Cruises Ventura: The White Room
• White Star Line.org.uk: London restaurants
• L'Escargot Restaurant.co.uk
• Belvedere Restaurant.co.uk
• White Heat Collection.com: cookware