Nick Nairn

Born and brought up in the village of Port of Menteith in Stirlingshire, Nick began his working life as a navigator in the merchant navy before enrolling at Glasgow's College of Nautical Studies. Student poverty and a desire to recreate the exotic dishes he'd experienced on his travels drove him to teach himself to cook, and in 1986 he opened his first restaurant, which won him the Scottish Field and Bollinger Newcomer of the Year Award. Four years later he became the youngest chef to earn a Michelin star for his restaurant in Scotland.

Nick has been unstoppable ever since: he opened further restaurants and tried his hand at events catering before starting up his own cookery schools. He is best known as one of Ready Steady Cook’s regular chefs.