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 6 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 UY 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 4 amazing TV shows for Outdoor Channel and MOTV. Farming the Wild – now in its 5th season, Fishing the wild – 2 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

Deer

Deer have long been my greatest passion.

That these beautiful large mammals can exist in large numbers so cheek by cheek with humans is testament to their intelligence and tenacity. I love the deer themselves, and the challenge of managing them to provide a sustainable resource and a healthy herd. I have my own private deer park in Berkshire, with Red, Fallow & largest herd of Axis Deer in the UK.

If you’d like to order venison to cook at home go to www.deerbox.co.uk

Outdoor Cooking

The Outdoors is my Church – I love the feeling of thriving outside and escaping the modern world. Learning to cook well outdoors is a real skill, and one that I take every opportunity to practise. I love it so much, I decided to make a TV series about it….Farming the Wild

Tanks

I have no idea why I love old Military vehicles so much! The fact that we can drive these incredible pieces of engineering on the road is just amazing.

As a massive history fan I am fascinated by the story of these war machines and what they have seen. Restoring and caring for them is a nod to our past.

This is a British Army CVRT Scorpion Light Tank that I restored from a wreck.

Recipes

Recreate Mike’s restaurant-quality dishes at home with these easy-to-follow recipes for every type of game imaginable. These tried and tested methods will advance your home cooking to the next level.

Farming The Wild

Wild Fish Masterclass

Wild Game Masterclass

Ethics, education, entertainment.

Watch now

Gear

A lifetime spent in the kitchen and field has enabled Mike to road test the tools of his trade to destruction. This selection of his favourite cooking and hunting brands have been extensively tested and rubber stamped by Mike.