How chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin went from washing dishes to become the only Michelin-starred brothers
- The Londoners, who run a series of Galvin-branded eateries, celebrate their 10th anniversary at two of their restaurants this year – and are not about to slow down
Chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin are incredibly laid-back considering they are the only brothers in the world to both hold Michelin stars.
When we caught up with the London-based brothers the morning after Valentine’s Day, they described an understandably busy evening at two of their restaurants.
Once upon a time it was us who couldn't afford to eat in Michelin-starred restaurants, [and there was a] quite reserved approach to dining out ...Now millennials are coming through, especially to La Chapelle
To ensure things ran smoothly, Chris had spent the evening at London’s Galvin HOP, while Jeff spent February 14 at HOP’s Michelin-starred neighbour, Galvin La Chapelle, both of which are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.
The brothers have also teamed up to help provide catering at its Galvin at Tottenham restaurant at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the new home of English Premier League soccer club, Tottenham Hotspur, in North London.
It’s this type of teamwork that has made their careers successful.
Chris started out washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen at the age of 15, and when he progressed to helping the chef pick vegetables, he suggested his 12-year-old brother Jeff could come to help out as a weekend job.
Both brothers went off to catering college, then started working in the same kitchen in a small restaurant in Shropshire, in England, which used fish from a local river and locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Since then, the brothers have gone on to work at the likes of The Savoy, The Ritz, and the Wolseley, before teaming up in 2005 and launching more than 10 different restaurants in London, Essex, Scotland, and Dubai.