Angela Hartnett

Angela Hartnett
Born	Merseyside, England
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur
Known for	Michelin-starred chef, Chef-Patron at Murano and Café Murano, former mentee of Gordon Ramsay

Angela Maria Hartnett (born September 1968) is a distinguished English chef recognized with a Michelin star. As a former Gordon Ramsay mentee, she rose to prominence through British television appearances and held the position of Chef-Patron at Angela Hartnett at the Connaught in London. Presently, she serves as Chef-Patron at Murano located in Mayfair, alongside Café Murano branches in St James's, Covent Garden, and Bermondsey, as well as Cucina Angelina in Courchevel, France.

Early life and education

Born in Merseyside, Hartnett is the daughter of Patrick Hartnett, an Irish sailor in the Merchant Navy, and Giuliana Pesci, whose family emigrated from Bardi in Emilia-Romagna to join the Welsh Italian community in the Rhondda Valley. Following her father’s passing when she was seven years old, her mother moved the family to Upminster, Outer London, to be closer to relatives. While Giuliana worked extended hours, their Italian grandmother took care of the children.

At 18, Hartnett spent a year living in Italy as an au pair before pursuing a history degree at Cambridge Polytechnic.

Career

Hartnett began her culinary journey somewhat later than usual, gaining practical experience working at a hotel in Cambridge and at the restaurant of the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados. In 1994, she returned to the UK to undertake a trial period at Gordon Ramsay’s inaugural restaurant, Aubergine. Committing to six-day workweeks alongside Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, she supported Ramsay during his tenures at Zafferano and L'Oranger before joining Wareing as sous chef at Petrus. In 2001, she co-launched Amaryllis in Scotland with David Dempsey and subsequently assisted in opening Ramsay’s first international venue, Verre, in Dubai.

In 2003, Hartnett was honored with the 'Best Newcomer Award' as well as the BMW Best New Restaurant accolade from the SquareMeal Guides for her two establishments housed within the Connaught. She received her initial Michelin star in 2004. By 2007, she debuted Cielo, a Ramsay Group restaurant situated in Boca Raton. Her television appearances include ITV1's Hell's Kitchen and participation in the concluding episode of MasterChef UK in 2015.

Prior to the closure of the Connaught hotel for refurbishment in 2007, Hartnett authored her first cookbook titled Cucina: Three Generations of Italian Family Cooking. After Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd concluded their contract with the Connaught, she inaugurated Murano, an upscale Italian dining venue positioned in Mayfair, during August 2008. Murano has been awarded a Michelin star and holds four AA Rosettes. She broadened her portfolio by launching Café Murano locations in St James (2013) and Covent Garden (2015), complemented by Pastificio—a deli-café and pasta workshop producing fresh pasta every four hours. In 2013, together with Neil Borthwick and Canteen founders Dominic Lake and Patrick Clayton-Malone, she established Merchant's Tavern.

Between January and March 2016, Hartnett co-hosted Tomorrow’s Food on BBC One, a series investigating innovative food technologies reshaping global production and consumption. In 2020, she joined Mary Berry as a judge on BBC One’s culinary reality program Best Home Cook, taking over from Dan Doherty.

Hartnett was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) during the 2007 New Year Honours for her contributions to hospitality and later elevated to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services rendered to hospitality and support of the NHS amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

She has acted as a judge for the BBC Food and Farming Awards. Journalist Sheila Dillon featured her in "A Life Through Food" on The Food Programme aired January 2022. Additionally, she appeared in Maya Gallus’ documentary The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution (2018), which spotlights female chefs navigating a traditionally male-dominated culinary sector.

In 2022, Hartnett launched Dish, an acclaimed podcast created with media figure Nick Grimshaw, produced in partnership with Waitrose.

Personal life

Hartnett is married to Neil Borthwick, who serves as the head chef at her establishment, Merchant's Tavern, and was formerly the sous-chef at Phil Howard's Michelin-starred restaurant, The Square. They reside in Spitalfields in a property co-owned by Hartnett and her brother. She is the owner of two dogs: Alfie, a rescued Jack Russell Terrier, and Otis, a beagle that originally belonged to her sister. Each year, Hartnett takes a vacation in Bardi, Emilia-Romagna, a region known for its connection to many Welsh-Italian families.

A passionate football enthusiast, she is a supporter of Arsenal F.C., the North London club.