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Antony Worrall Thompson is an English restaurateur, celebrity chef, popular television personality and writer.
With a culinary career spanning almost four decades, Antony became a well-known face of television in the 1990s, entertaining audiences with his charm and sense of humour but also has an absolute passion for food.
His first big break in the kitchens of London was when he was given a chance as sous chef at Brinkley’s in London in 1978, where was made head chef just a year later. Following this he was Executive Chef at 190 Queens Gate in South Kensington.
In 1981 Antony Worrall Thompson launched his own restaurant Ménage a Trois in Knightsbridge, adding further restaurants and pubs in the following years.
Antony Worrall Thompson was first seen on TV when he was a resident chef and presenter on BBC 2’s Food And Drink programme, before making regular appearances on Ready Steady Cook from 1994. Following his part in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2003, he then secured the role of presenter on the BBC programme Saturday Kitchen, a position he kept for three years.
He also presented ITV’s Saturday Cooks, appeared on the BBC’s Great British Menu and regularly featured on This Morning. Anthony has shared his wisdom in print too, writing a number of books, and regular columns in the Daily Express and in Good Food Magazine.
Antony Worall Thompson was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. Both his parents were. His parents were actors. Despite his charismatic personality, Anthony didn’t show signs of following in his parents’ footsteps. While a student King’s School, Canterbury, he sustained facial injuries while playing rugby and had to wait until he was twenty-one years of age before he could have plastic surgery to correct the disfigurement.
Antony studied hotel management at Westminster Kingsway College, after which he took his first catering job in Essex.
Moving to London in 1978, he became sous-chef at Brinkley’s Restaurant, Fulham Road, before becoming head chef one year later. A year later he took a sabbatical to go and travel in France, eating and working his way around the local cuisine. On his return he incorporated much of what he had learned in France into his own cuisine.
Before opening his own restaurant, Antony was the Executive Chef at 190 Queens Gate in South Kensington, London. Then in 1981 he opened his first restaurant Ménage à Trois in Knightsbridge, where he served only starters and desserts. He then launched further restaurants in London and the South East.
His first television appearance was on on BBC2’s Food and Drink, before then appearing on Ready Steady Cook from 1994. With growing popularity Anthony then started to appear on non-food related programmes, starting in 2001, with an appearance on Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank and in 2003, on the second series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
He then took over hosting BBC2’s Saturday Kitchen, in which he took the programme to increased popularity and a spot on BBC1. He later presented the ITV Daily Cooks Challenge and BBC’s Great British Menu. In 2010, de was also on the mini series Trawlermen: Celebs at sea.
Anthony has filmed many of his own series for Carlton Food Network, including a 78-part series called Worrall Thompson Cooks; Simply Antony; Antony’s Scotland; and So You Think You Can’t Cook.
He has also hosted a programme for Channel 4, Stir Fry, which looked at the quality of food in prisons. He captained a team on BBC Radio 4’s Question of Taste with wine expert Oz Clarke OBE. He has also guested on the Radio 4 programme ‘Broadcasting House’.
Anthony has published over 50 books and the following are just some of the highly popular books he has released over the years, since his first book was published back in the 1980s.
Antony has also written a number of cookbooks for people with diabetes, including GI Diet and The Diabetes Weight Loss Diet.
In 1987 Antony was presented with the (MOGB), one of the most prestigious accolades a chef can receive and dubbed the culinary oscars. The award, which is organised by Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA), is now called Master of Culinary Arts (MCA).
Not only is Antony charming and playful, but he is a true professional and genius of the culinary world. He has achieved great success and has many stories to tell, wisdom to share and insights to impart. His audiences are always engaged and come away learning something new.