Welcome back to Grilled by The Staff Canteen, this is series 4 and our third co-host is Frances Atkins.Frances is the chef owner of Paradise Cafe near Harrogate and former holder of a Michelin-star plus Great British Menu contestant.Frances has picked six guests from the hospitality industry to chat to and put under the Grilled spotlight, and next up is chef Laurie Gear from Michelin-starred The Artichoke.Laurie Gear is the chef and co-owner of Artichoke in Amersham. The chef and his wife Jacqueline opening the restaurant in 2002, with Laurie overseeing the kitchen and Jacqueline managing the front of house.Growing up in a household where his father was a baker and his mother a cook, Laurie was destined for a career in hospitality. After finishing college and working for a number of establishments including a four year stint at Combe House, Laurie and Jacqueline opened the Artichoke together in 2002 in Amersham. The restaurant quickly gained recognition achieving Two Rosettes by the AA, Two Couverts in the Michelin Guide, top score for cooking in the Hardens Restaurant Guide, UK Best Dish 2007 in Restaurant Magazine.In 2008 the restaurant was forced to close after a fire broke out from the neighbouring property. During this time Laurie staged at the world-renowned Noma in Copenhagen alongside Rene Redzepi. The Artichoke eventually reopened in 2009 undergoing an expansion in 2011 with the adjoining building where the fire originally began.Since reopening, The Artichoke was named ‘Best New Entry’ in The Good Food Guide 2011, awarded a ‘Rising Star’ in the 2011 Michelin Guide and in September 2013 it was awarded ‘AA Restaurant of the Year for England 2013/14’ as well as achieving a third rosette by the AA.And finally achieving a Michelin star in 2020!This is the fifth episode with Frances, and she discusses watching chefs who have passed through her kitchen and gone on to achieve accolades of their own, encourgaing youngsters in to hospitality and evolving as the industry changes.Thanks for listening to Grilled by The Staff Canteen, we talk to the UK's best chefs every week so make sure you follow us so you don’t miss out on the latest episode. If you are not already become a member of The Staff Canteen and keep up to date: www.thestaffcanteen.com/index/registerPlease support us if you like what we do: bit.ly/TSCContribute