Frances Atkins

Frances Atkins is a British chef. She won a Michelin star at the Yorke Arms in 2003.

Career Frances Venning was born in Maidstone, Kent, but grew up in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Her father had served in the Royal Engineers during the Second World War. He was involved in the creation of the portable Mulberry harbours used during the D-Day landings. and then Denmark to work in different kitchens. When she was 23, she met and married her first husband, George Carman QC. During this period, she would close the restaurant on Sundays and go to visit Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, who she later called a "huge mentor". While Atkins worked as head chef, her husband ran the business side of the restaurant. The couple decided to put the restaurant up for sale in 2017 for £1.75 million, as Bill was looking to retire.

Yorke Arms lost its Michelin star in October 2019 but then earned its third rosette from AA plc in February 2020. Yorke Arms has been closed as a restaurant since July 2020 amid COVID-19 pandemic and planned to be reopened as a private country house for hire. Atkins launched a catering project Paradise Food with her two former Yorke Arms colleagues of over 20 years, chef Roger Olive and manager John Tullett.