Yotam Ottolenghi

About

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of Britain’s most influential TV chefs and food writers. His books, including Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, Jerusalem, Plenty and Plenty More, have sold more than three million copies worldwide.

Jerusalem was awarded Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals and Best International Cookbook by the James Beard Foundation.

His culinary career began as a pastry chef at three London restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Capital Restaurant.

Yotam, along with fellow chef Sami Tamimi, founded the eponymous delicatessen Ottolenghi in the Notting Hill district of London. The deli quickly gained a cult following due to its inventive dishes, dishes characterised by the foregrounding of vegetables, unorthodox flavour combinations, and the abundance of Middle Eastern ingredients such as rose water, za’atar, and pomegranate molasses.

His TV work began with an award-winning survey of Israeli food in Jerusalem on a Plate. Ottolenghi’s Mediterranean Feast and Ottolenghi’s Mediterranean Island Feast soon followed. Then, in 2017, Yotam Ottolenghi served as a guest judge on Masterchef Australia.

Despite not being a vegetarian, Yotam, in 2006, began writing a weekly column for The Guardian titled ‘The New Vegetarian’. Influenced by the food writing of Nigella Lawson and Claudia Roden, Ottolenghi’s recipes rarely fit within traditional dietary or cultural categories.

Conference & Events

American magazine Bon Appétit described Yotam Ottolenghi as the chef that “made the world love vegetables”.

Yotam takes his brand of cooking on tours of both the UK and America, performing at events, making personal appearances and putting on demonstrations. His entertainment is both enthralling and poignant.

Cookery School

Yotam is an instructor with Masterclass, the streaming platform.

Yotam Ottolenghi is available for cooking demos, events and personal appearances from Useful Chefs.