From courtroom to kitchen: Chantelle Nicholson’s inspiring culinary journey

Chantelle Nicholson is a renowned chef, restaurateur, and leading voice in sustainability.

She is best known for her thoughtful, produce-driven cooking and her leadership in ethical, inclusive hospitality.

Originally from New Zealand, Chantelle trained as a lawyer before pivoting to a career in food - a transition that led her to the UK, where she’s now considered one of the most progressive figures in uk hospitality.

She is passionate about conscious cooking - not only in terms of sourcing and sustainability, but also in how hospitality businesses operate as workplaces.

Chantelle has also joined forces with Belu as part of the Served with Purpose campaign, championing sustainability across the hospitality industry.

In 2022, she launched Apricity in London’s Mayfair - an ambitious and deeply values-led restaurant that fuses her culinary skill with a serious commitment to sustainability, circular economy practices, and staff wellbeing.

The menu is driven by British seasonality, low waste principles, and close relationships with suppliers. Apricity also received a Green Michelin Star in recognition of its environmental and ethical efforts.

Unusual Journey from Law to the Kitchen

Chantelle added: “I ended up in London kind of by chance. I was living in Wellington, New Zealand working as a lawyer, and entered a cooking competition for fun. That’s where I met Josh Emett, who at the time was the head chef at the Savoy Grill in London. I didn’t win the competition, but I did make it to the final round, and afterwards he said to me, ‘If you ever want to work in London, there’s a job for you at the Savoy Grill.’

"I saw it as an incredible opportunity. So I packed up and moved over here within a couple of months, thinking I’d stay for maybe two years. That was 19 years ago now - and I’m still here. So I suppose I got a bit stuck! But honestly, it changed everything. It wasn’t the path I thought I’d take, but I found something I really loved, and it led me to where I am now.”

The importance of a good team

Chantelle has always campaigned toward a more sustainable way of living, she explained: “I think it's important to invest in people so they continue to grow with you. And when you think about it, all the things that make a successful, well-run business align with environmental goals. Whether that’s reducing food waste, conserving electricity, or valuing someone’s time - it just makes financial sense as well as ethical sense. At Apricity, these values

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are just part of how we operate. It’s not a separate ‘sustainability’ initiative - it’s embedded in everything we do.

"The team is the most important part of any hospitality business, and I think strengthening them and keeping them in that loop for a meaningful period of time is crucial. It’s about creating an environment where they feel valued, supported, and want to stay."

She also enjoys creating new dishes, she added: “For me, inspiration for a new dish always starts with the produce. It’s about finding something seasonal or unique that sparks an idea, something I genuinely want to work with. But it also comes from the people behind the produce, or others doing incredible work in the sustainability space.

"I recently cooked in Lisbon at a restaurant called Sem, which really opened my eyes even further to what’s possible with fermentation and waste repurposing. What they’re doing with circular food systems - taking what might otherwise be discarded and creating incredible flavour - is truly inspiring. It reinforces that you can push creativity and flavour really far while still being sustainable. At the end of the day, the experience on the plate still has to be exceptional, and I find it exciting when purpose and flavour can coexist at the highest level.”

Evolution of Leadership and Inclusivity in Hospitality

Chantelle added: “I think leadership in hospitality is changing, but it’s not changing across the board. There are areas where things have improved significantly, and others where there’s still a long way to go. One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen is a growing awareness around inclusivity - not just as a box-ticking exercise, but as something conscious and intentional. There’s been a real movement away from what I’d call ‘unconscious exclusivity’ where systems were in place that unintentionally excluded people - to now seeing more deliberate inclusivity.

"It’s encouraging to see more women in leadership roles, and organisations led by female CEOs who are paving the way for greater diversity and equity. But we still need to do more to ensure the entire hospitality structure supports people from all backgrounds - whether that’s in terms of gender, race, neurodiversity, or socio-economic background. I do think it’s heading in the right direction, and I hope I can play a small part in continuing to push it forward.”

Written by Abi Kinsella

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