Thomasina Miers

Thomasina Miers OBE is a chef, food writer and restaurateur celebrated for her bold, sustainable approach to Mexican cuisine and her passionate advocacy for seasonal cooking. She won BBC MasterChef in 2005 and co-founded Wahaca, growing it to 14 acclaimed restaurants that became carbon neutral in 2016, alongside co-founding Chefs in Schools to transform how British children eat. With eight published cookbooks, a decade-long weekend column in the Guardian, and television series for Channel 4 and Channel 5, she shares accessible recipes rooted in sustainability and flavour. Her engaging keynotes equip audiences with practical insights on recognising opportunities, building ethical businesses, leading with compassion, and turning obstacles into growth, all delivered with warmth, candour and infectious enthusiasm.

Thomasina Miers won BBC MasterChef in 2005 with a bold, eclectic cooking style that captured the judges' attention and launched a career defined by fearless flavour and sustainable enterprise. Shortly afterwards, she co-founded Wahaca with business partner Mark Selby, transforming her deep love of Mexican street food into a restaurant group now comprising 14 locations across the UK, including the newest site in Paddington. Her fascination with Mexico began during backpacking travels in 1994, where the diversity of ingredients and vibrancy of the food markets captivated her completely. After training at Ballymaloe Cookery School and working on a cheese farm in Ireland, she returned to Mexico to open a cocktail bar for friends, immersing herself in the cuisine that would shape her professional life. In 2024, she took her three daughters to live in Mexico once again, gathering recipes and reconnecting with a culinary landscape that had evolved significantly since her earlier years there. That experience informed her eighth cookbook, released in autumn 2024, which explores simpler, more authentic mole recipes and seasonal Mexican cooking.

Thomasina's professional contributions extend far beyond the kitchen. Wahaca became carbon neutral in 2016, pioneering sustainability in the restaurant sector through comprehensive recycling, sustainably sourced meat, and a menu where half the dishes are vegetarian. She was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the food industry, receiving the honour from the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace. In 2017, she co-founded Chefs in Schools, a charity dedicated to transforming how British children eat by bringing real, delicious food into school kitchens nationwide. Her media work has been equally influential: she has presented multiple television series for Channel 4 and Channel 5, including Wild Gourmets, A Cook's Tour of Spain, and Mexican Food Made Simple. For over a decade, her Weekend Cook column in the Guardian's Saturday Feast magazine has delivered accessible, seasonal recipes to home cooks, demonstrating her commitment to making great food achievable for everyone.

Thomasina's keynotes draw directly from her entrepreneurial journey, offering audiences practical insights into recognising and seizing opportunities, building ethical businesses, and leading with compassion. She speaks candidly about the challenges of scaling Wahaca from a single restaurant to a nationally recognised brand, the lessons learned through setbacks, and the importance of embedding sustainability into every business decision. Her involvement with The Clink charity further illustrates her belief in giving back and creating pathways for others. Audiences leave her sessions equipped with tangible strategies for turning obstacles into growth, leading teams with authenticity, and never compromising on values whilst pursuing commercial success. Her warmth, humour, and infectious enthusiasm make complex business principles feel achievable, inspiring listeners to act boldly and build ventures that matter.