Paul Mannering

A long-standing lover of food, Paul’s culinary journey was inspired by his mum and auntie who nurtured his passion for cuisine from an early age.

He went on to launch HIT’s award-winning Chef Academy in 2016, establishing it as a world class training and development centre with a reputation for exploring different cultures through food.

In 2017, under Paul’s leadership, the Chef Academy was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted and the following year, it won a highly acclaimed Catey award. The Academy now works with figureheads such as Marcus Wareing and Raymond Blanc to further its reputation as the best of the best.

“For me, it is about inspiring the next generation of chefs,” says pastry expert Paul, who has more than 25 years of culinary experience.

“A big part of me wants to leave the industry in a better state than I found it and it’s great we’re getting the recognition we deserve.”

Paul teaches martial arts Ninpo Taijutsu in his spare time. He likes cooking socially, DIY and spending time in his garden. He also enjoys reading about military history.