Tommy Banks

Tommy Banks (born 3 June 1989) is a British Michelin Star head chef. He owns Michelin-starred The Black Swan at Oldstead, Roots in York, The Abbey Inn at Byland and a food box business, Made In Oldstead.

Early life Banks was born and grew up in the North Yorkshire village of Oldstead. He comes from a farming background, with the Banks family farming in and around Oldstead for five generations. The Banks family also ran a B&B from their family home before buying their local pub, The Black Swan, in 2006.

As a teenager, Banks was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis that led him to quitting a career in cricket to work in his family's pub.

Career In 2006, when he was 17, Banks's parents bought the pub and restaurant The Black Swan at Oldstead, and he became involved in the running of the business. He worked in the kitchen and started to learn to cook. He had no formal training as chef, but worked several unpaid stages in Michelin-starred restaurants including a week in Raymond Blanc's restaurant in Oxfordshire, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

The restaurant at The Black Swan first won a Michelin Star in 2012 with Adam Jackson as chef. When Jackson left to set up his own restaurant in June 2013, Banks took over as head chef at The Black Swan. At the age of 24, Banks was one of the youngest chefs to receive a Michelin Star when the restaurant retained its Michelin Star that year.

On 5 April 2018 Banks's first cookbook, Roots, was published by The Orion Publishing Group. It was the UK winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the Chef category 2018.

On 15 September 2018 Banks and his friend and business partner Matthew Lockwood opened the Bankses' second restaurant, Roots, in the centre of York.

In March 2020 Banks and Lockwood set up Made In Oldstead, a food delivery service. This was launched primarily to help pay suppliers and staff unable to be furloughed after the temporary closure of their restaurants due to COVID-19. In July 2020, the company said that they would continue the service.

Television In 2016, Banks took part in Great British Menu. He also appeared in the programme in 2017 and again won with his fish course of turbot with strawberries and cream. . He appeared once again on the 2020 Great British Christmas Menu, and won the petit-fours with his dish called "The Night Before Christmas"

Banks was co-host of The Big Family Cooking Showdown with Angellica Bell in 2018. He regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch as a guest chef. Since 2019, Banks has been a guest judge for Great British Menu. In 2019, he judged the Northern Ireland heats, in 2020 and 2023, he judged the London and South East heats, in 2021 and 2026, he judged the Wales heats, and in 2024 and 2025, he judged the Central heats.

Personal life Banks is married with two children. He lives in North Yorkshire.