After turning 50, he closed his flagship restaurant and has no intention of reopening it. Today, Marcus Wareing's perspective on gourmet dining has drastically changed, questioning the cornerstones of haute cuisine.
The opinion
After three and a half decades of a stellar career, Marcus Wareing, the renowned chef and judge on "MasterChef: The Professionals," has decided to hang up his apron. This decision comes after years of success, a Michelin star, and a famous rivalry with Gordon Ramsay.
Wareing, now 53, closed his esteemed restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel last year and has no plans to open another. "I’ve done a lot," he tells the Independent, "I don’t need to open another place. www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/marcus-wareing-quits-gordon-ramsay-masterchef-b2538394.htmlIt’s been fabulous. But do I want to do it forever? No. I don’t want to continue on the same boring path. I wanted a change in my life, to switch directions and do different things."
This shift is driven by a desire to break away from the monotony of fine dining, characterized by quiet kitchens, high prices, and "tweezer-prepped dishes," as he puts it (despite his long tenure in that world). "No one chops anything anymore, no one knows how to make a soffritto," Wareing reflects, lamenting the loss of traditional culinary arts, the so-called "cooked cuisine." And then there's the cost factor, which is very high for maintaining a fine dining establishment. "I estimated that I would have to charge £600 for a standard dinner for two at my restaurant if I decided to keep it open. Who goes out and has £600 for a meal?"
Despite his departure from restaurants, Wareing maintains a strong connection to the culinary world through his role as a judge on "MasterChef: The Professionals," a position he has held since 2014. His farewell comes shortly after the closure of Mere, the restaurant of Monica Galetti, who is also a judge on MasterChef. This coincidence marks the end of an era for two of the most influential figures in television gastronomy.
Despite the challenges and rivalries, such as the one with Ramsay, Wareing looks to the future with optimism and gratitude for the experiences he has had and the people he has met along the way. "I am free to do what I want," he concludes, ready to write a new chapter in his life, away from the kitchen's spotlight.
