MasterChef’s Ritchie Stainsby joins Natural Innovations

Acclaimed Nottingham chef and MasterChef: The Professionals semi-finalist Ritchie Stainsby has joined Natural Innovations as innovation chef.

This marks the next chapter in his culinary career and a bold step for one of the UK’s most forward-thinking food businesses.

A chef known for redefining plant-led dining

Best known as founder of Nottingham’s award-winning restaurant No. Twelve, Ritchie built a national reputation for his inventive tasting menus and zero-waste ethos. His dishes championed sustainability without sacrificing flavour, earning multiple Good Food Awards and helping set a new benchmark for modern plant-led dining.

Read more: Masterchef: The Professionals finalist announces restaurant closure

Following his success at No. Twelve, Ritchie continued to explore creative, sustainable cooking through private dining projects and pop-ups that reflected his belief in making vegetables the star of the plate rather than an afterthought.

Bringing chef-level innovation to large-scale kitchens

At Natural Innovations, Ritchie will lead product and menu development designed to bring the creativity of fine dining to foodservice and retail settings. His appointment forms part of the company’s wider investment in new techniques, product innovation and sustainable food technologies aimed at supporting chefs and operators nationwide.

Ritchie said: “For me, food should always start with flavour. I’ve always believed in creating things that people genuinely want to eat. My focus has never been on imitation meat or alternatives, but on doing clever, delicious things with fruit and vegetables.

“Working with Natural Innovations means I can take that philosophy further, sharing plant-led creations with thousands every day and inspiring bold new flavours across restaurants and foodservice.”

Aligning creativity with sustainability

Natural Innovations’ commercial director Tom Edwards said the move reflects the company’s growing ambition to merge creativity, sustainability and commercial practicality.

He said: “Ritchie brings exactly the kind of creativity, curiosity and technical expertise that defines Natural Innovations. His philosophy of making plant-led food exciting for everyone, not just vegetarians or vegans, perfectly reflects our mission to make sustainable eating simple, delicious and mainstream. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team as we expand our development capabilities.”

A new direction for a creative chef

For Ritchie, the move represents a natural evolution - shifting from running restaurants to influencing how plant-led food is designed and produced on a national scale. In his new role, he will work closely with Natural Innovations’ product development teams to create new ingredients and menu solutions that combine culinary craft with large-scale impact.

As demand for sustainable, plant-led food continues to grow, his appointment signals Natural Innovations’ commitment to leading from the kitchen - blending innovation with integrity, and flavour with purpose.