Mike Robinson
Mike Robinson
MULTI AWARD-WINNING CHEF, RESTAURATEUR & HUNTER
Mike started his career cooking as an apprentice in some of the best restaurants in the Savoie region of France. His flair for wild ingredients, culinary skills and ability to communicate led to a career in TV, where he presented several mainstream shows over the following decade regularly attracting viewership figures of over six million households. In 2008 Mike opened the legendary Harwood Arms, London. The pub attained a coveted Michelin star in 2010 and has held it ever since – it remains the only pub in London to do so for nearly 15 years.
In a quest to harvest the finest ingredients for his dishes, Mike and his team also controls the wild game and boar on over 60,000 acres of private land in the UK and famously supplies his four restaurants – The Elder in Bath, The Woodsman in Stratford Upon Avon, The Forge in Chester and The Harwood in London – with venison and sustainably sourced game meat. Deer Box, his Venison management and supply business, now supplies over 3000 people in the UK with venison delivered to the door, and over 50 top-rated restaurants.
Much of the venison served is still hunted by Mike himself, who is a passionate and seasoned hunter.
Mike is lucky enough to own Farming the Wild Productions, which makes four amazing TV shows for Outdoor Channel and MOTV. Farming the Wild – now in its fifth season, Fishing the Wild – two seasons, and Wild Game Masterclass, as well as Wild Fish Masterclass. Both the Masterclass series are ground-breaking, teaching audiences the skills and secrets of restaurant cookery – making it easy for the home cook to up their game.
Recent Awards:
• Michelin 1 star Harwood Arms, 10th year to retain this
• Harwood Arms voted No. 1 gastropub in the UK 2020
• Mike voted Champion of Champion, Eat Game Awards 2020
• Runner Up Game Hero, Eat Game Awards 2020
• Deerbox.co.uk voted Best Small Retailer Selling Game 2020, 2021 &2022. Shortlisted for 2023
• Woodsman – Good Food Guide Best New Restaurant in UK 2020
• Woodsman voted top 3 restaurants in world from 6k in IHG Group 2020