Michael Harrison
Origins:
The first half of my career was marred by a complete lack of guidance from senior chefs and owners. It wasn't until I worked for Thomas Keller that I learned the true value of mentorship. After 15 years of cooking professionally my skills began to plateaux and kitchen work became less challenging. Rewards came from properly training staff and helping them progress, passing on the knowledge and experience that I never received. For me, teaching and consultancy is as extension of that approach.
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Everything I do nowadays is a distillation of all that I have experienced in over two decades of hard work, travel, apprenticeships and trial and error..and I'm still learning today. The accumulation of knowledge is useless without a platform to pass it on.
The Early Years
Michael began cooking in 2005 but his career began in earnest when he moved to London in 2012 to help launch The Cornwall Project with Matt Chatfield.
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Working directly with world class farmers, butchers and fishermen Michael learned the importance of proper sourcing and sustainability, developing a format for the hollistic suppy chain that many London restaurants would one day adpot.
Work Abroad
Michael won the 2014 William Heptinstall Award, granting him a scholarship to fund restaurant work overseas. He used it to travel and work across Australia and the USA.
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2015 saw him in Melbourne working at Attica (no. 20 Top 50 World's Best)
2016 was spent at The French Laundry (3 michelin star former no. 1 Top 50 World's Best)
2016 ended with a stage at Blue Hill at Stone Barns (no. 11 Top 50 World's Best)
Early Interest In Fish
Michael continued in his pursuit for knowledge and diversified into fishmongery to fill a gap in his skills.
2017 he trained under Master Fishmonger Daniel Murphy, now owner of Oenomaris.
2018 he was back in Australia to work for Josh Niland at his newly opened The Fish Butchery.
A Return To Restaurants
Back in London, 2019, Michael joined Super 8 Restaurants as Group Head of Sourcing and Supply Chain (and seniour sous chef of Smoking Goat). Working directly with over fifty independant farmers, producers and fishermen Michael refined his systems for hollistic buyer-supplier relationships and became a mentor for young chefs across the group.
Change Of Tac
Post Covid Michael made the full time move into fish. He took over as manager of celebrated fishmonger Fin + Flounder in Hackney.
His goal? To finesse the formula of the classic, East London wet fishmonger and to incorporate the attention to detail and customer experience of a fine dining restaurant.
Tying It All Together
In 2023 Michael took over operations for The Sea The Sea. Overseeing a restaurant, a fishmongers and a Cornwall to London wholesale operation. He had control over a sustainable supply chain, from dock to dish. Now fully in the role of mentor, while managing the business, he began to provide fish and seafood related training to industry partners and restaurants on behalf of The Sea The Sea.
Going Solo
Michael began freelancing in 2025. He provides industry consultancy and training to some of London's top restaurants, speaks at conferences and teaches fish and seafood classes across London.
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2025 also saw him launch his own Seafood School, distilling all of his knowledge into workshops on fish preparation, correct cooking techniques and sustainable seafood. He still cooks, on pop ups and private dinners going on across the UK, always with fish in mind.
Michael was awarded the 2014 William Heptinstall Award, granting him a scholarship to fund restaurant work overseas. He used it to travel and work across Australia and the USA.
​
2015 saw him working at
(no. 20 Top 50 World's Best)
​
2016 was spent at
(3 michelin star former no. 1 Top 50 World's Best)
​
2016 ended with a stage at
(no. 11 Top 50 World's Best)
Michael continued in his pursuit for knowledge and diversified into fishmongery to fill a gap in his skills.
2017 he trained under Master Fishmonger Daniel Murphy, now owner of Oenomaris.
​
2018 he was back in Australia to work for Josh Niland at his newly opened The Fish Butchery.