Meet the chefs brightening up London's plates this winter

Hailing from Nigeria, Chef Esther John is entirely self-taught, spending the past 15 years honing her craft as a professional chef. She shares her passion for cooking with her mother, who Esther credits with teaching her many of the techniques she uses in her kitchen today as Enish’s head chef. Here, she’s constantly developing new and innovative dishes to add to the menu at Enish’s 10 locations around the city.

Her secret to find inspiration? Don’t be afraid of mixing old with new: "I enjoy experimenting, trying new things and looking for trends on social media," she explains, "But I love traditional too, and my cooking will always centre on fresh ingredients and traditional spices."

Chef Esther’s top dish pick: "The egusi and pounded yams, made with traditional spices from Nigeria and loads of fresh spinach."

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For Greg Ilsen and Nick Goldstein, starting a business was always going to happen, solidified around the dinner table on a group holiday, when the pair agreed they wanted to create something together.

"A few days later, Nick messaged me out of the blue saying, 'Have you heard about how they eat sushi in Australia?'" recalls co-founder Greg. "That was the start of the idea for SushiDog." What followed was months of development, with the pair trying to perfect the perfect hybrid between Australian handrolls, traditional sushi – and something entirely new.

These days, the brands sushi dogs, bowls and salads are completely customisable, available at 12 locations across London. There’s even plans to roll out SushiDog elsewhere across the UK… watch this space.

Greg’s top dish pick: "Our Signature Salmon roll, which has been on our menu since day one in 2018 – and for good reason."

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Chef Krzys brings 18 years of experience from the kitchens of some of London’s most recognisable restaurants. His love of food, however, was first sparked in Poland, where as a boy he watched his mother and grandmother prepare meals in the family kitchen. The passion he saw from them is something he brings to his own craft, and in his position at Alma Cafe, he’s developed a menu of healthy and nutritious dishes that never sacrifice on flavour.

"We try to minimise sugar, cut out gluten where we can, that kind of thing," he explains, "but our food is never boring. We use loads of spices, like za’atar, plus high quality, fresh ingredients. That’s the secret."

Chef's top dish pick: "Our avocado toast with slowly cooked confit tomato on top."

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As head chef of Tofu Vegan, Kai Zou leads the charge in bringing to life a menu of Chinese classics – all with a plant-based spin. And it’s safe to say Londoners are impressed: in just six years, the city now boasts six Tofu Vegan restaurants.

But where did the inspiration for that first outpost come from? "My wife is vegan and she kept nagging me to open a vegan restaurant with those traditional Chinese flavours," founder Chao Zhang says, "that’s really where it all started." Even the name raised a few eyebrows. "It’s quite niche," he laughs, "British people don’t tend to have a good relationship with tofu." Still, against the odds, Tofu Vegan proved a great success, with six locations opening in just five years. "There’s no secret, honestly. I just keep the traditional flavour." Simple as that. 

Chef's top dish pick: "Wontons in special sauce. It's the perfect balance of flavours."

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Dubbed a 'salad master' at the age of just six, a career in food was inevitable for Island Poké’s head of food, Richard De La Cruz. After studying culinary arts, he was encouraged by teachers and chefs to join their kitchens. "My grandfather warned me not to go into the kitchen," Richard laughs. "So of course, I did it anyway."

More than 20 years later, Richard has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, developed new food concepts alongside his wife, opened restaurants in France, London and the Caribbean – and just about everything in between. Nowadays, he leads food development at Island Poké, after the brand was recently acquired by his company the Honu Poke Group. His mission? "To prove that healthy food doesn’t have to mean bland… it can be colourful, bold and exciting."

Richard’s top dish pick: "Teriyaki tofu. Tofu isn't easy to get right, but this dish is really exciting."

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Bewlie founder Angus Lambert didn’t set out to work in food. While studying engineering at university, he took on casual kitchen jobs to earn his keep alongside his degree and soon found himself drawn into the ‘foodie world'. "I saw a big gap," he explains. "There was plenty of great produce out there, but it wasn't being used in the service world in a way that felt exciting, accessible, and genuinely seasonal."

That's how Bewliehill was born, taking its name from his grandfather’s farm. The concept is built around fast, convenient food that doesn’t compromise on quality. Menus change throughout the year, with ‘dishes that let the great produce do the talking’ and an ethos that champions UK farming in the most sustainable, seasonal way. If you're wondering what that looks like in practice? "Let’s just say you won’t see tomatoes in winter," Angus quips.

Chef's top dish pick: "The House Bowl, with kale, roasted squash, carrot, a creamy hummus and our nutty dukkah, It’s finished with tangy pickled onions.”

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Two vegans, one bold idea and no food background? It sounds like a recipe for disaster – but for Matt Mitchell and Ross Mundy, it was the start of something special. The co-founders of The Hogless Roast set out to create a vegan hog roast that steered well clear of ‘yet another bean burger’.

Former meat eaters themselves, the pair found they still craved the indulgence of a classic hog roast – and quickly spotted a gap in the vegan market. With the help of a ‘top chef’ friend, they set about developing smoky, flavour-packed recipes that delivered all the comfort, without the meat. "At first, we were just doing street food markets," Matt says. "But as it became more popular, we thought, maybe we’ll give this a go as a restaurant." They’ve been serving their heart comfort food to the people of London since 2020, first as a delivery-only kitchen, and as of 2025, at the bricks and mortar spot in Walthamstow.

Chef's top dish pick: "The hogless roast burger. It’s juicy, tender, and offers a massive burst of flavour.”

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Vegan… pizza? They’re not two words that often go together, but at Sodo, founder Dan Birch oversees a menu that includes a pie for just about every kind of slice lover – even the vegan ones. The Mary Jane, Sodo’s celeriac, mushroom and onion topped vegan offering, sits alongside old favourites like Margherita, and cheeky options like the Jon Bon Chovy (complete with anchovies, of course).

"It's classic, Italian pizza, filtered through a London lens," Dan explains. In reality, that translates as high-quality ingredients, long-fermented sourdough pizza and an ever-evolving menu. "Whether it's dough, sauce or decision-making, rushing rarely improves anything," says Dan. "Simplicity, done well, always wins."

Dan’s top dish pick: "The Wickerman. The combination of sweet, meat and cheese with a hint of spice is a thing we crave at a primal level.”

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