Who is chef Ritchie Stainsby MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 contestant?

Four more chefs take to our screens in the next heat of MasterChef: The Professionals 2024, on Thursday, November 7 (8pm).

Introducing ritchie stainsby, chef owner of no. twelve in nottingham.

Ritchie celebrates plant-based dishes and runs his own restaurant in his hometown Nottingham, with his wife Lauren, 

Name

Ritchie Stainsby

Age

33

Where are you from/where do you live?

Born and raised in Nottingham, Ritchie, 33, has worked as a chef for 10 years.

Current and previous experience

Without much formal training, Ritchie has learnt his craft working on the job in kitchens. In his first kitchen, he worked his way up from a commis to a line cook and spent six years at Jamie’s Italian.

He and his wife then decided to take the plunge and open up their own premises, No. Twelve Restaurant, which they’ve now run for seven years. The space started as a small café serving brunch and sandwiches. Within two years, they relocated to a larger restaurant to follow their plant-based fine-dining dreams offering both an à la carte and luxury tasting menu.

Who and what inspired you to become a chef?

“My passion for food grew from turning vegetarian at a very young age, around 12 years old. At the time, I was asked to do a project at school on something I didn't know anything about, naturally as a big meat eater I did it on vegetarianism. A week later I stopped eating meat and fish.

"My parents jokingly said that if I didn't want to eat their food, I should cook for myself, so I started exploring the world of cooking as a young man. Excited by TV chefs, I would pause the show to capture their recipes. I started educating myself as to how I could inject flavour into a vegetarian diet.”

How would you describe your style of cooking and any influences on it?

“I think plant-based dishes can often be associated with ‘junk food’ and ‘dirty vegan’ style burgers and fries. My focus is combining classic techniques with modern cuisines.

"I wanted to offer a luxurious experience where seasonal vegetables are the stars of the show, not just to cater for a dietary choice. My influences span across rustic Italian, classic French and Japanese cooking, focusing on seasonality of ingredients and how best to use them. I’ve spent the last few years developing my skills throughout fermentation and other techniques.”

Why did you want to take part in MasterChef: The Professionals?

“I entered MasterChef: The Professionals to show the world how good plant-based eating can be. I’d like to display a different style of dining that everyone can enjoy, whether you eat meat or not. The time is now to represent vegan cooking as a cuisine, with growing curiosity around getting more plants into your diet, plus the health and climate benefits. I’d like to show others it doesn’t have to be boring!”

Outside of cooking what are your passions?

“Food and music are my passions, even better if they go hand in hand. As a trained musician, I've been in numerous bands throughout my life, along with lots of different haircuts to suit! Food used to be my hobby and music my job, but I'm enjoying things the other way around.”