French-born Jean-Christophe Novelli began his culinary career at the age of 14 working in a bakery. In 1991, Jean-Christophe received his first Michelin star just six months after taking over as chef at Le Provence at the Gordleton Mill in Hampshire. Novelli eventually opened his own restaurant, Maison Novelli, and a string of others (at one point 6 restaurants including one in South Africa).
Sadly, Novelli and his restaurant empire went bankrupt but things seem to be turning around. In 2005, Jean-Christophe opened the Novelli Academy, a highly regarded cooking school. Novelli recently opened the White Horse in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, the first gastropub (brasserie) in his "Touch of Novelli" project. A total of 10 gastropubs are planned around Britain.
Novelli was born in 1961.