1 Michelin Star Chefs: James Mackenzie, Chef Owner, The Pipe & Glass Inn

James and Kate Mackenzie are the owners of Michelin-starred The Pipe & Glass Inn in Yorkshire. 

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James and his wife, Kate, bought the Pipe and Glass Inn in 2006. The Pipe and Glass was then awarded its Michelin star in 2010 and has retained it ever since. 

Biography

James Mackenzie grew up in Filey, North Yorkshire, and trained at the then Scarborough Technical College (now Yorkshire Coast College), students have also included James Martin and Andrew Pern. 

He then went on to work in several restaurants before becoming  head chef at the renowned Star Inn at Harome. Here is where he found his true calling, British cuisine with a perfected lightness of touch creating exemplary dishes which are bold yet familiar. 

James and his wife, Kate, bought the Pipe and Glass Inn in 2006, Kate running the front of house. James and Kate also oversee the production of the Pipe and Glass’s quarterly newspaper, The Pantry, which includes many recipes and news about the culinary world.  

The Pipe and Glass

The Pipe and Glass was awarded its Michelin star in 2010 and has retained it ever since. His pub has also won numerous other awards, including the Michelin Eating Out in Pub Guide’s national Pub of the Year Award in 2012, and being named as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country in The National Restaurant Awards 2013. It is the Good Pub Guide’s County Dining Pub of the Year for Yorkshire 2014. 

The style of cooking is comforting and welcoming as James aims to provide good Yorkshire hospitality and great food, accommodating for special dietary requirements, children even having their own ‘Little People’s’ menu. The Pipe and Glass serves contemporary dishes, often involving traditional ingredients like salt beef, which James feels is much underused in this country. An example of this is his salad of salt beef with green beans, radish, Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and quail eggs. 

Other Achievements

James published his first book, On the Menu, in 2012 which won the title of Best First UK Cookbook in the international Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for 2013.His book is filled with 74 imaginative take on classically British recipes for example beer braised oxtails with deep fried oyster fritter.

The book explains his strong belief of the importance of local suppliers which ensure top quality produce goes into all the dishes he and his team create. In January 2014 James made his debut on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen, with his friend James Martin. On here he took part in the Omelette Challenge, where the guest is challenged to cook a three-egg omelette as quickly as possible, and cooked an alternative version of the Hash Cake recipe from his book 

James also set up the Golden Apron, a cookery competition he runs in conjunction with the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School, and which aims to find Yorkshire’s best young chef from the ages of 14-19.

 The competition winner wins the opportunity to be mentored and cook alongside James Mackenzie. 2013’s winner was 15-year-old Philippa Lister, from Wakefield. 

Videos with James Mackenzie:

By Hollie Bligh