Stu Deeley

Masterchef Stu Deeley has become one of the acclaimed shows brightest stars. Since winning Masterchef: The Professionals back in 2019, Deeley has set up the revered Stu Deeley Chef Academy at Halesowen College and plans to open his own restaurant a stone’s throw from his childhood home. “Truly a Brummie, born and bred,” Deeley still lives within a mile of where he grew up in Birmingham. As a child, he lived the classic rebel lifestyle and could often be found at the nearby park instead of in class. Later, when he studied cooking at Halesowen College, Deeley honed his passion for food. Now he is fast becoming one of the most sought after restauranteur’s in the business, and he’s only just getting started.

Working up through the ranks, Deeley credits his stint at the Michelin starred restaurant Simpsons for setting his career on the right path. There he learned to take ownership of his actions and cultivate his craft within the regimented hierarchy of Andreas Antona and Luke Tipping’s kitchen. From there, Deeley was the head chef of the highly-rated restaurant The Wilderness, where he found a similar family ethos he loved from Simpsons. With a cooking style rooted in showcasing the cuisines he grew up with in Birmingham, with a deep-rooted love of Asian flavours and produce, Deeley is an innovative chef.

Without the desire to show his little boy “that if you want something, you have to face your fears and go get it,” Deeley may never have found his way into the limelight. Now, as he looks to open his first restaurant in Edgebaston alongside his fiancé Natasha Shorthouse, who will also oversee the front of house, Deeley stands at the front of an unstoppable career in the business.