Clare grew up on a farm in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is the first British female chef to win three Michelin stars. Since moving to England at the age of 16, she has worked with an uncompromising devotion to her craft, training in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the world. In her time as Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Hospital Road, her many awards included 10/10 in the Good Food Guide, five AA rosettes and an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.

Clare opened Core in 2018 which secured two Michelin stars in the 2019 Michelin guide and three Michelin stars in 2021. The restaurant also ranked the highest in La List 2022 and was awarded the Best Gastronomic Experience in the 2023 Harden’s Guide. In November 2021 Clare opened Oncore by Clare Smyth in Sydney Australia which was awarded three hats in the 2022 Good Food Guide Australia. This made Clare only the second chef in history to hold both three Michelin and three hats at the same time.

Clare’s other accolades include: Cateys Independent Restaurateur 2023, World’s 50 Best Female Chef 2018, Michelin Female Chef 2017 and Cateys Chef of the Year 2016. Clare was appointed President of Bocuse d’Or Team UK in 2023, following two years as International Chef Ambassador. Clare represented the UK as Honorary President at the Bocuse d’Or Europe in 2020.

Tom Phillips grew up in Newport, South Wales and his love of cooking started when making Welsh cakes with his mum. This grew into an obsession that led to an apprenticeship at the Ritz London. Tom then progressed to the kitchens of Thomas Keller at Per Se in New York and Simon Rogan’s, L’Enclume.

He moved to London to work for Tom Sellers at Restaurant Story and quickly progressed to head chef during this time the restaurant won a second Michelin star. In 2022 he was promoted to executive chef and played a key role in the opening of Story Cellar in a counter-style dining restaurant in Covent Garden. Tom was the youngest candidate to represent the UK in the Bocuse d’Or when he competed in the European final in Turin 2018. He secured a place in the World final in Lyon 2019 placing 10th in the world. He then took on the role of coach for candidate Ian Musgrave and commis chef Adam Beaumont for the European heat in 2022 and world final in 2023

Ian Musgrave joined The Ritz as chef de partie in 2011 and became executive sous chef in 2023. Ian oversees all outlets of the kitchen, including the Ritz restaurant, Private Dining, Room Service and the world famous Ritz afternoon tea held in the Palm Court. During this time The Ritz was awarded its first Michelin star.

Ian won the British Culinary Federation Chef of the Year in 2018 and represented the UK in Bocuse d’Or, winning the theme on the plate prize in 2022 and securing 7th place in the 2023 world final.

He will now use his competition experience and extensive culinary expertise to coach Tom though the European heat in Trondheim,

Harry was working for Simon Rogan at the three Michelin starred L’Enclume when he first heard about the Bocuse d’Or, at the time Simon was President of Team UK.

He was instantly intrigued and went on to support Ian Musgrave and then commis Adam Beaumont as they prepared for the Bocuse d’Or world final in January 2023.

The chef then moved to London to be closer to the team and now works for Brett Graham at the three Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury.