MasterChef:The Professionals appearance for Fish&Forest owner

Stephen Andrews, the head chef and founder of Fish&Forest in Grape Lane, and owner of Notes Wine Bar in Micklegate is set to feature on MasterChef: The Professionals.

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Stephen, 33, owner of Fish&Forest, in Grape Lane, York, will feature on the 17th series on BBC One and BBC iPlayer with judges Gregg Wallace, Monica Galetti and Marcus Wareing.

Stephen, who specialises in game, fish and foraged foods at his restaurant – will make his debut on tonight’s show at 9pm.

Stephen Andrews, left, on set with the other contestants (Image: BBC/Shine TV) He said: “I applied because I believe in my ability, and I believe in myself. I think my story of how I got to where I am today has shaped me as a chef and this has had a massively positive impact on my cooking and skills. I want to be able to showcase what I know I have to offer this industry.”

Stephen relocated Fish&Forest to Grape Lane in August and opened Notes at the restaurant’s former premises in Micklegate.

He says sustainability is at the core of what he does and his menu is always led by ingredients from land and sea – using sustainable fish from UK waters, game from local estates and forest foods.

He says everything he serves in his restaurant is 100 per cent prepared and made by himself and the team, cured in-house and butchered in-house.

Stephen hard at work on the show (Image: BBC/Shine TV) Although Stephen studied advanced engineering at college, he started in his parents’ restaurant, 1331 Restaurant Bar and Grill, as a glass collector at the age of 15. This is where he fell in love with the industry and worked his way up to the ranks, alongside going back to college to study catering.

He founded Fish&Forest as a pop-up concept before opening in Spark in 2018 and then Micklegate the following year.

Outside of cooking, Stephen says his passion is his family – and he lives in York with his wife and son.

He said: “It sounds cheesy but outside of cooking, my favourite thing is spending time with my son. He has just turned two and he is honestly a legend. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

MasterChef: The Professionals will air tonight on BBC One at 9pm.