CELEBRITY chef Brian Turner said he is really looking forward to meeting this year's winners of the Pride in our People awards.
Mr Turner is one of Britain’s most successful and well-known chefs. who was made a CBE for his services to tourism and training in the catering industry in the Queen’s 2002 Birthday Honours and is a well-known TV face.
He said: “I feel honoured to be a host at this year’s awards. There are so many incredible people who devote their lives for our communities and this is a chance for their hard work to be recognised and celebrated. I would like to thank the University of West London and the Ealing Gazette for granting me the privilege of being a host at these heart-warming awards.
"I am sure it will be a special evening of festivities at the university’s top student-training restaurant, Pillars."
Mr Turner trained at various hotels and restaurants, including Simpson's in the Strand and The Savoy Grill, both under Richard Shepherd.
He then went to Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, returning to England to work at Claridge's and then in 1971 the Capital Hotel where he and Richard Shepherd earned a Michelin star. In early 1973 he worked as a Chef Lecturer before taking over as Chef de Cuisine in 1975 after Shepherd left and then launched the Greenhouse Restaurant and the Metro Wine Bar. Among the chefs who worked with Turner at the Capital were Gary Rhodes and Shaun Hill.
His TV work included being resident chef on Granada Television's This Morning, BBC2's Ready Steady Cook, presenting a number of cookery programmes, including his own BBC series, Anything You Can Cook.
He has received a number of awards and honours, including the Craft Guild of Chef's Special Award for achievement within the industry, the Caterer and hotelkeeper Catey Award for Chef of the Year as well as the Wedgwood Award for outstanding services to the hospitality industry.
He has been the Chairman of the Academy of Culinary Arts for nine years and is the chairman of the UK Hospitality Skills Board. He has also been awarded an honorary professorship of the University of West London for his work and commitment to The London School of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure and catering education.
