JEREMY Hollingsworth is one of a long list of successful chefs who trained at the Scarborough Technical College.

Mr Hollingsworth grew up in Scarborough and went to school at Barrowcliff Junior School followed by Raincliffe School.

When he left school, he started working at his mother's pub in Malton, The Golden Square.

He said: "I can't really say I always wanted to be a chef because I didn't.

"Before working for my mum I joined the navy but I only lasted six weeks.

"I then worked at the pub and I sort of just fell into it. I enjoyed helping my mum out and that was the start of it all, really."
He worked at the pub for a year before taking a two-year catering course at Scarborough Technical College.

At the age of 20 he was offered a job at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
He said: "I was one of the best students in the year and was put forward for the job. I was a commis chef and it was a fantastic first job. I was working for Anton Mosimann which was a great experience. it was hard work, though. I was working 80 hours a week but I loved it."

He worked at the hotel for two-and-a-half years before it closed for refurbishment.

Mr Hollingsworth was then offered a job in Switzerland for five months.

When he returned to London, he was offered the job of sous chef at Marco Pierre White's restaurant The Canteen, in Chelsea.

Mr Hollingsworth said: "I worked with Marco for six years from then. He was brilliant to work for and nothing like he is on the television. He is a pussycat on telly.

"When you watch Hell's Kitchen and those sort of programmes it is very different to how a kitchen is actually run. They are just not real.

"Marco was a very good boss though and I learnt so much from him. It was tough and there was a lot of pressure and stress. But it was an amazing experience."

At the age of 30 he was promoted to head chef at Marco's restaurant Quo Vadis in Soho. It was here he achieved his first Michelin star.

He said: "For a chef that is one of if not the best accolade you can get. It is one of my best achievements. I was so pleased.

"It was always my ambition to be a head chef by the time I was 30."

Mr Hollingsworth then took a break from work and went backpacking with wife Anne, now 41, around the world for 10 months.

He said: "I was working too much and I needed a break. It was an amazing 10 months and one of the best things we have ever done. We went all over, including Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Australia. It was incredible."

The couple have been together since meeting at Raincliffe School. They have two children, Marcus, 10, and Bradley, six, who both go to Northstead School.

When Mr Hollingsworth returned to Britain he worked for Marco again in the Belvedere Hotel in Holland Park, London.

He said: "Marco was always there for me and offered me work which was good.

"He was very good to work for. When I watch him on TV it brings back a lot of memories. He is a genius in the kitchen. He did a lot for me and I owe him a lot. It was a great pleasure to work for him."

Over his time working for Marco, Mr Hollingsworth said he has cooked for dozens of celebrities.

He said: "Celebrities were always coming into the restaurants, including Elton John, Michael Winner and Liz Taylor.

"It doesn't really add pressure but I always found that you knew when an order was from a celebrity as it would never be straightforward, they would ask for something different."

Mr Hollingsworth soon teamed up with a friend, Barnaby Meredith, and the pair opened their first restaurant, The House Gastro Pub in Islington.

The pub won the Time Out Gastro Pub of the year award.

Mr Hollingsworth said: "That was a great achievement for us. They judged us on the quality of the food, service and the actual restaurant. We were over the moon about it."

The pair then opened their second restaurant, The Bull, which was awarded two AA rosettes.

He said: "Things were going really well. We were really pushing forward and it was amazing to be the chef/director of my own restaurants.

"I was then offered a job in Singapore at the Fig Leaf restaurant for two years. It was great. We absolutely loved it there."

When he returned to England he opened another restaurant The Only Running Footman in Mayfair.

He said: "In total I was in charge of 30 chefs so it was very hectic. But I loved every minute of it."

Earlier this year he was offered a job in Hong Kong. He said: "That was a very bad decision as it never really took off. I took my family over there and the job never really came about so we only ended up staying for three months."

When they returned to England they decided to move back to Scarborough.
Mr Hollingsworth said: "We had done the London thing and we were ready to settle somewhere for good with the children. We have always loved Scarborough and all our family live here.

"The children are now settled and are really enjoying school.

"We always thought we would end up back in Scarborough and we are now ready for a new challenge."

Mr Hollingsworth is now busy preparing for the opening of his first Scarborough restaurant, Jeremy's, in Victoria Park Avenue.

He said: "I am so excited about it. Scarborough has been screaming out for a new restaurant.

"Anne will be working front of house and I will be the chef so we are really looking forward to it and working together for a change.

The restaurant is expected to open in six weeks.

He added: "We are busy getting it ready at the moment. A lot of work is going into it.

"Fingers crossed it will be a success."