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In the kitchens at James Martin Manchester, you’ll feel the buzz of precision and creativity. The chefs working under one of Britain’s most loved chefs have a lot to live up to.
Currently at the centre of it all is Josh Mallalieu, a young chef whose star is rapidly on the rise. Taking up the reins under the watchful eye of one James Martin, Josh is bringing his own flair and ideas to the menus while holding true to the ethos of seasonal, ingredient-led cooking that makes the food at James Martin shine.
Over the course of our conversation, Josh’s energy bubbles over. He’s not the type to romanticise the job. He talks about responsibility, teamwork, and “running a section like a well-oiled machine”, but it’s clear that flavour and telling stories with dishes are what make him tick.
Josh Mallalieu at James Martin
Though he’s still early in his career, his path to the pass has been guided by creativity and a very special apple pie.
“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a chef,” Josh began, with the certainty of someone who never doubted their direction. His love of cooking sprouted quite literally from the ground.
Josh said he was always a creative kid who enjoyed being in the garden. He added: “I had a little veg patch, and picking fresh food drew me into the kitchen and then cooking. I come from a big family, and I’ve always been the one making cakes for everyone’s birthdays and parties. It started with fairy cakes when I was a kid. I’ve done six celebration cakes so far this year!”
There’s something pleasing about a chef whose story begins with baking birthday cakes for siblings, because it speaks of joy as much as skill. But the turning point came when his apple pie not only won over his gran’s horticultural show but also a school competition.
“First dish was an apple pie. My gran took me to a horticultural show when I was 10, and I won. I won again with the same recipe at a school competition, so that made the decision, I would be a pastry chef.”
The detail matters to Josh, even in this memory: the exact recipe, the repeat victory, the clarity of that decision. You can almost see the 10-year-old smiling at his success, without knowing that one day those competitions would give way to Manchester’s glittering restaurant scene.
What’s it like working with James Martin?
Josh’s journey to James Martin Manchester was as serendipitous as it was impressive. While studying at college, a member of James Martin’s team came in for a guest chef experience. The encounter proved pivotal.
“And he asked me to join the team,” Josh said, then laughed. “Well, he asked my girlfriend first, but she’d already accepted a job and she suggested me!”
It’s the kind of story you can imagine retelling years later, the chance moment, the nudge of fate. What could have been a missed opportunity became the foundation of his professional life.
And what about working under James himself? “Letting the ingredients be the star is the ethos of this kitchen,” Josh explained. It’s the anchor. Everything that follows, from the taste menus to the grand evenings with James himself, is about respect for produce and storytelling through food.
He described the experience as something truly special, saying it was “wonderful to learn from a chef who has spent his whole life exploring the world’s best food and gaining knowledge from other incredible chefs, past and present.”
With that comes a responsibility, he explained, to bring passion into the kitchen every day and to take ownership of the dishes. “It can feel a little daunting,” he admitted, “but I enjoy talking to the customers, especially at the Evening with James events. It’s a chance to bring to life the story of the food.” For him, it isn’t just about what appears on the plate that evening, it’s also about “the story of how we got it there.”
Josh’s Escoffier’s peach melba
Josh’s peach melba
When tasked with creating a dessert for one of these exclusive evenings, Josh turned to the greats for inspiration. “I took inspiration from Escoffier’s peach melba dish and James Martin’s ‘The Apple’,” he explained. It was a nod to the past with a modern twist, a style that feels very much his own.
“I’m trained in the classics, and that is often my starting point. It suits our house style of comfort food and great flavour. Peaches are my favourite fruit of the season, so I knew I wanted to start there. I went through lots of experiments getting the recipe right, adjusting each of the elements until I had the nice balance I was after. When you can taste every element, but the peach is still the star, you know the dish is ready.”
There’s an obsessive streak here, the kind of tinkering and fine-tuning that separates a good dish from a great one. Josh talks about peaches with the reverence of someone discussing fine wine. For him, the star ingredient shines when everything else around it steps back just enough.
“The biggest thing I have learnt in the kitchen is how to manage a section,” Josh reflected.
“Everything needs to run like a well-oiled machine, communication with the team, and always pushing for great standards.”
That’s the reality behind the glamour, the nightly balancing act of speed and teamwork. Not to mention the precision. Yet Josh is equally animated when talking about menu development, a responsibility he clearly relishes.
Strawberries and clotted cream pavlova
“Sometimes I’m given a brief. For the Summer à la carte, I was asked to develop a strawberries and cream dessert that resulted in the Pavlova. Other times I am given more freedom. I created the Raspberry Mille-Feuille on the Summer Taste menu to end the meal on a light dish that highlights seasonal fruits.
“It is served with a peach and honeysuckle sorbet. I forage the honeysuckle, and you don’t get much fresher than that!”
Manchester’s restaurant scene
Josh and his signature peach melba
For Josh, working in Manchester is about being part of a wider ecosystem. It’s about being part of a wider, ever-evolving dining scene that has exploded in creativity over the last decade.
“I think Manchester has an amazing food scene. I try to go out once a week to a wide variety of places. I love Sicilian NQ, it’s hearty, traditional and proper food. No frills but great taste. I still like the bougie stuff too. I’m looking forward to trying Skof. You know you aren’t going for a hearty feed, but it will be an experience.
“I like the detail and intricacy of it. Manchester is great at embracing these two worlds. There is something for everyone and lots of fun and new concepts.”
This balance, hearty plates and fine artistry, is something Josh sees reflected in his own kitchen too.
“At James Martin we try to offer experiences through the events and taste menus, but at our core is simple, well-sourced, seasonal ingredients treated with respect!”
That ethos might sound familiar, but it’s being brought to life by a new generation, one that cares about provenance as much as presentation.
So where does Josh Mallalieu go from here? At the moment, he’s laser-focused on steering James Martin’s menus into their next chapter, carrying forward the restaurant’s reputation while putting his own stamp on the dishes.
Guests can already taste his influence. His Raspberry Mille-Feuille is available on the Taste of Summer menu until 27 September, while his Strawberry Pavlova can be found on the Date Night menu across the same dates.
Each dessert represents a different side of his approach: classic inspiration, seasonal produce, and that touch of playfulness that comes from a chef who once made fairy cakes for family birthdays.
Talking to Josh, you get the sense that the journey is only just beginning. The apple pie that won him those childhood competitions may have set him on his path, but now he’s carving a space in Manchester’s dining landscape.
And if there’s one thing that comes across strongest in his words, it’s this: food isn’t just about flavour. It’s about people, place, and the stories that connect them.
You can book a table at James Martin by clicking here
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