2 Michelin Star Chefs: Jonny Lake, chef owner, Trivet
Jonny Lake is the Chef and co-Owner of two Michelin-starred Trivet in London Bridge
Jonny Lake was born in Ontario and studied physics and biology at university in Montréal.
Biography
Whilst in Montréal, Jonny Lake started two things that would alter the course of his life: cooking at home and volunteering at a 'meals on wheels' charity, Santropol Roulant.
The time Jonny spent at Santropol not only made him aware that he could cook, but it also made him realise that when it comes to food, the potential for learning is endless.
After graduating, Jonny spent 18 months honing his skills at the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hotellerie du Québec, the largest professional chef training programme in Montréal.
Jonny excelled at culinary school, thanks to which he was granted a bursary to pay for a three-month stage in Italy.
His culinary career began in Savona, Liguria, where he worked at the one Michelin starred A-Spurcacciun-a, a fish and seafood restaurant.
When the restaurant was closed during the offseason, Jonny staged at Quintillo in Altare, Liguria.
Next, he moved to Gultiero Marchesi’s two-Michelin starred restaurant in the L’Albereta Resort in Erbusco.
In 2005, Jonny moved to the UK to work as a chef de partie at The Fat Duck, where he was named the head chef in November 2009.
In 2013, he also took on the role of head chef of the Experimental Kitchen. the kitchen where most of the recipes served at the Bray restaurant are developed and tested.
In January 2015, The Fat Duck relocated to Melbourne, so the Bray location could undergo a refurbishment and redesign - and Jonny went over to Australia to lead the team there.
Nine months later when they re-opened the restaurant in Bray,
Jonny was promoted to executive of The Fat Duck group, putting him in charge of overseeing Heston Blumenthal's three restaurants in Bray (The Fat Duck, The Hind’s Head and The Crown at Bray), as well as The Perfectionists’ Café at Heathrow Airport.
Trivet restaurant
In 2018, he left his position as executive chef and started to work on plans for Trivet. He and Isa Bal. the Fat Duck's former sommelier, travelled the world for inspiration, returning to launch Trivet in 2019 as a restaurant, wine bar and cellar in the Snowsfields Yard development at London Bridge.
The former sous-chef at The Fat Duck Michele Stanco joined them as the restaurant's head chef, while their former assistant manager Melissa Fergus was named general manager of the new restaurant.
In October 2020, the restaurant was awarded 3 AA Rosettes, and, in February 2022, won a star in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland. That same year, Isa Bal was awarded The Michelin Guide Sommelier Award. In 2024 the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland awarded Trivet it's second star.
Food and wine
Unlike The Fat Duck, with its extensive tasting menu, Trivet aims for a more casual approach to dining, with a small à la carte menu and a walk-in only bar area.
According to the Michelin Guide, the open kitchen focuses on producing fuss-free dishes that aim for taste over style. They use prime ingredients to create perfectly balanced combinations.
Some notable menu items include; Pigeon and persimmon; wood-roasted squab pigeon, spiced heritage carrots and kale, along with ‘Hokkaido Potato’, a dessert made of Baked potato Mille-feuille, saké and white chocolate mousse, butter and saké gelato.
The Michelin Guide described the wine list, produced using both natural and conventional methods. as "thoughtfully curated and inclu[ing] hitherto unexplored regions" such as Georgia, Armenia and Turkey, amongst others, acknowledging the root of viti-viniculture.
Videos with Jonny Lake:
Other Michelin Star Chefs
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