Michael first came to Skye in 2004 replacing Chef/Patron Shirley Spear at the stoves of the renowned Three Chimneys restaurant. For 10 years, Michael continued to maintain and enhance its reputation and considerable critical acclaim by consistently creating and evolving dishes that reflected the restaurants surroundings, specifically utilising as much of the superb Skye/Scottish natural larder as possible. His original take on traditional Scottish gastronomy inspired by classical techniques received many accolades, including a top 5 placing in New York Times food critic Franck Bruni’s favourite destinations in the world, and most recently being awarded a Michelin star in 2014.
Having first experienced commercial kitchens aged 15 in his home city of Inverness (capital of the Highlands), as a part time KP in a local restaurant, Michael quickly decided to pursue a career as a chef. This decision was reinforced in 1988 when he secured a place in the brigade of Arisaig House on the west coast of Scotland where he stayed for 3 years working under Chef Matthew Burns. From there he moved to London, initially working at Le Gavroche before moving to Le Pont De La Tour and most significantly spending 4 years as Senior Sous with Jeremy Lee at Blue Print Café. From there Michael moved back to Scotland, commissioning 3 new Glasgow restaurants, firstly with Andrew Radford’s Blue then Arta and Gong with Stefan King’s G1 Group, between 1999 – 2003.
As a passionate ambassador of Scottish gastronomy, Michael has been fortunate enough to be asked and participate in many events in the UK and internationally. In 2011 and 2013 he was Scotland’s Food Ambassador during Tartan Week in New York and Toronto. He has delivered several banquets in London for charitable organisations as well as his home city of Inverness. For the last 3 years Michael has been commissioned to deliver a St Andrew’s Day Banquet in Monte Carlo, each attended by HSH Prince Albert. In 2012 Michael represented his country for the 3rd time on BBC’s Great British Menu, most notably this time, winning the main course place at the final banquet with his African inspired “I love kids….” goat tagine. In 2015 he will represent Scotland again, this time as veteran judge in the hugely popular BBC series.
Once a month Michael writes and contributes a food & recipe column for the Press & Journal’s Saturday “YL” magazine and regularly features on BBC Radio Scotland’s Kitchen Café and Kitchen Garden Café broadcasts.
Permanently based on Skye with his wife Laurence and 2 children, Margot and Oscar, Michael’s idea of a perfect day away from work would be an early morning scramble on the Cuillin Ridge, followed by an afternoons canoeing & mackerel fishing trip on the loch, ending up around an island beach fire BBQ.