Tommy Banks (chef)
Tommy Banks | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1989 Oldstead, North Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Michelin-starred chef; proprietor of The Black Swan at Oldstead, Roots (York), The Abbey Inn at Byland, Made In Oldstead |
Tommy Banks (born 3 June 1989) is a renowned British chef and entrepreneur, recognized for his Michelin-star achievements. He is the proprietor of the Michelin-starred establishment The Black Swan at Oldstead, as well as Roots in York, The Abbey Inn at Byland, and the upscale food box enterprise Made In Oldstead.
Early life
Raised in Oldstead, North Yorkshire, Banks comes from a farming lineage spanning five generations. His parents operated a bed and breakfast prior to acquiring The Black Swan pub in 2006. Initially dedicated to cricket, Banks’s focus shifted to culinary arts following an ulcerative colitis diagnosis at 18, which prompted a recovery period during which he cultivated a strong interest in cooking.
Career
Following his parents’ purchase of The Black Swan in 2006, Banks began working in the kitchen without formal culinary education, gaining practical experience through unpaid placements at Michelin-starred venues such as Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. The Black Swan was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2012 under chef Adam Jackson. Banks assumed the role of head chef in 2013 and successfully maintained the star at just 24 years old, making him the youngest chef to hold such an honor.
In 2013, the family developed a three-acre kitchen garden beside The Black Swan, cultivating rare ingredients like Crapaudine beetroot and Wineberries to support their farm-to-table philosophy.
Banks released his first cookbook, Roots, in April 2018, which received the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Chef Book in the UK.
In September 2018, Banks partnered with Matthew Lockwood to open Roots in York, a tasting-menu restaurant sourcing fresh ingredients daily from their own farm and garden.
March 2020 saw the launch of Made In Oldstead, a gourmet food box delivery service initially designed to aid suppliers and employees during COVID-19 lockdowns. By July 2020, this offering evolved into a permanent business segment providing three- and five-course menus delivered nationwide across the UK.
Television
Banks competed on Great British Menu in 2016, winning the fish course with his dish titled 'Preserving The Future'. He returned in 2017 and again secured victory with a turbot dish complemented by strawberries and cream.
In 2018, he co-presented The Big Family Cooking Showdown alongside Angellica Bell and regularly appears as a guest chef on programs such as Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch. Since 2019, Banks has been a frequent guest judge on Great British Menu, overseeing regional heats including Northern Ireland in 2019 and London and South East in 2020.
In 2020, Banks triumphed in the Great British Menu Christmas special with his petit four-course menu entitled 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.