Adam Handling

Adam Peter Ritchie Handling (born 17 September 1988 in Dundee, Scotland ) is a British chef and restaurateur. He was a finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013 and won the Champion of Champions title on Great British Menu in 2023. He is the owner of the Adam Handling Collection of six food and drink venues in London, England.

Handling was appointed MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to hospitality and international trade.

Career Handling started his culinary training at the age of 16 as an apprentice chef at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. He went on to work in London before becoming sous chef at the Malmaison hotel in Newcastle. He then moved back to Scotland where he served as head chef at the Fairmont St Andrews.

In 2013, Handling took on the role of head chef at St. Ermin's Hotel in St James's Park, London. That year, he competed in the sixth series of Masterchef: The Professionals, finishing as a finalist.

In 2014, Handling officially opened Restaurant Adam Handling at Caxton, which received three rosettes award from the AA. The next year, it was named Best Newcomer UK Restaurant by Food and Travel Magazine. In October 2014, he published his first cookbook, Smile or Get Out of the Kitchen, with a foreword by Masterchef judge Monica Galetti.

In June 2016, Handling opened his first independent restaurant, The Frog, in Spitalfields, London, and appeared in series 11 of Great British Menu. In September 2017, he opened his flagship restaurant, Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden, followed by the stand-alone bar, Eve Bar.

Handling was selected to prepare food for world leaders attending the 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall. Most of the ingredients used were sourced from within a 100-mile radius as part of the summit's carbon-neutrality plans. In the same year, he opened his first restaurant outside London - The Loch & the Tyne, restaurant and pub with guest bedrooms in Old Windsor. Later that year, he also opened Ugly Butterfly restaurant and bar in Newquay, Cornwall.

In 2023, Handling published a collection of three books: Frog by Adam Handling, Why Waste? and Perfect, Three Cherries. In March 2023, he appeared as a guest judge of the segment "Quickfire Challenge" on Top Chef: World All-Stars. The following month, Handling won BBC's Great British Menu Champion of Champions award.

Handling created a trifle made with parkin, ginger custard and strawberry jelly that was chosen as the official pudding for the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

The Adam Handling Collection also held its food festival at the Tartan Fox in 2025 and 2026.

In May 2026, Handling established Ahrelia, a caviar company.

Restaurants The Adam Handling Restaurant Collection operates restaurants, bars and pubs in London and other parts of England. The group is committed to a zero waste practices into its operations, including using ingredients and offcuts.

Frog by Adam Handling opened in September 2017, alongside bar venue Eve Bar. In May 2020, the group launched Hame, a nationwide home-delivery service offering dishes from its restaurants.

The group's first pub, The Loch and The Tyne in Old Windsor, was opened in May 2021. In August 2021, Handling opened Ugly Butterfly, which moved from its original site in Carbis Bay to Newquay, Cornwall in July 2025.

In July 2024, the company opened the Tartan Fox pub near Newquay in Cornwall. In March 2025, he the first opened a chocolate shop ‘Adam Handling Chocolate Shop’ in March 2025.

Honours and awards Handling was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to hospitality and international trade.

Acorn Award 2013 by magazine The Caterer as one of "30 under 30 to watch" British Culinary Federation "Chef of the Year 2014" Scottish Chef of the Year Award 2015 Chef of the Year, Food and Travel magazine 2019 Restaurateur of the Year, British GQ Food and Drink Awards 2020 Scottish Power’s COP26 Green Power List Restaurant Chef Award 2023 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards