Nikita Pathakji
Originally from Derby, Nikita Pathakji,began her career with an apprenticeship at Westminster Kingsway College, combining study with hands-on kitchen experience.
| Fact title | Fact data |
|---|---|
| Role | Michelin Trained Private Chef |
Her first professional role was at The Lanesborough Hotel, where she worked across the afternoon tea section, pastry, and finally the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Céleste.
She went on to join Bibendum (2 Michelin stars) under Claude Bosi, gaining valuable classical French training before spending nine months travelling across Southeast Asia - a period she describes as hugely influential in shaping her cooking today.
Upon returning to London, Nikita worked at Core by Clare Smyth (3 Michelin Stars) before joining Kitchen W8 (1 Michelin Star), where she developed her skills under Mark Kempson and rose to the position of Junior Sous Chef.
In 2022, she was crowned champion of MasterChef: The Professionals, earning widespread recognition for her precise, elegant cooking and distinctive flavour combinations. In 2024, she was appointed Head Chef at The Princess of Shoreditch - her first head chef role - where she continued to fuse classical technique with global influences.
Nikita describes her style as elegant fine dining with bold Asian flavours, strong spice profiles and clean, understated presentation.
Nikita now has her own business as a private chef, creating bespoke menus for her clients, using all her skills garnered over her experience in Michelin kitchens. She is keen to open her own restaurant one day.
Her menu is a celebration of style, the central region and the films and actors that hail from there.
