Welcome To Breaking Bread Chef Louisa Ellis
This week, we break bread with the massively talented Chef Louisa Ellis. Louisa owns her own business as a private dining chef based in Nottingham. She trained in high-end restaurants all over the Midlands before taking part in Masterchef The Professionals and Great British Menu.
Chef Louisa Ellis’s Early Life
Some people are born to cook, and some discover it later, but for Louisa Ellis, cooking was a part of life before she even realised it was her calling. Growing up in Luton, Louisa’s early lessons in the kitchen were at home, stirring pots and experimenting with flavours that would eventually lead her to the blistering heat of professional kitchens. In our latest podcast episode, Louisa shares a story that’s as raw as the ingredients she began with—a tale of grit, resilience, and an insatiable hunger to prove herself.
Chef Louisa Ellis’s Career
Louisa’s career started humbly at Catering College. While her peers grappled with recipes and culinary techniques, Louisa was soaking up every challenge thrown her way. But as her skills grew, so did the fire in her to stand out in an industry that’s tough as nails and relentless in its demands. The hotel kitchens were her first battlegrounds, places where young chefs often drown in a sea of orders, overwhelming heat, and towering personalities. Louisa didn’t just survive; she thrived, learning not only how to cook but also how to navigate the fierce, unfiltered world of restaurant kitchens.
It started with a meal at Adam’s in Birmingham—a Michelin-starred spot where plates looked like art and flavours hit you like a perfectly timed punch. For Louisa, sitting there, savouring each bite, it was more than just dinner; it was an awakening. She walked out of that meal with a question for herself: Could she work in a place like this? She didn’t just wonder—she went back, asked for a trial shift, and Adam himself gave her a shot. It was here she felt the fever of Michelin-level intensity, where every detail matters and perfection is the only acceptable outcome.
Hungry to push herself, and try a new style, she moved on to The Wilderness under Alex Claridge. It was a place known for breaking boundaries, where fine dining met rebellion. There, Louisa didn’t just learn technique—she learned to be fearless in her cooking. After a while, she found herself drawn to the legendary kitchen of Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, a two-star temple to flavour and discipline. It was here that the stakes were the highest, and every service demanded both fire and precision. Louisa got a job after an intense trial shift. Sharpening her skills and her resolve, set the stage for her journey to come.
Masterchef The Professionals/Great British Menu
then came the call of MasterChef, the place where chefs are torn down and rebuilt in front of millions. Louisa knew this was her shot, but it didn’t come easy. Her time on the show was a gauntlet of nerve-wracking challenges, cooking under the unforgiving gaze of cameras and judges. Yet, as pressure mounted, her skill and determination spoke louder. She emerged from MasterChef having got to the final, not only as a better chef but with a career-altering platform that would catapult her into the culinary spotlight.
But it didn’t stop there. Louisa, hungry for more, took on the Great British Menu, where the stakes—and expectations—were even higher. This time, the preparation was painstaking, the pressure almost unbearable. Yet for Louisa, each moment was a test, a proving ground, where the personal stakes went beyond the accolades.
Chef Louisa Ellis On Mental Health & Doing Whats Best For You
Through it all, Louisa has been open about the toll the industry can take on one’s mental health. It’s a career that can break the best, and Louisa doesn’t hold back about her own struggles. The kitchen demands not only your talent but your sanity, too, and Louisa’s path was lined with moments of self-doubt and burnout. Her bold pivot to become a private chef wasn’t an escape—it was a choice for self-preservation, a testament to the importance of mental health and finding balance.
Louisa’s story is about the pursuit of passion and the price it demands. It’s a story of resilience, self-care, and ultimately, the courage to carve out her own path in a world that rarely grants second chances.
Watch Our Full Brilliant Conversation
00:00 Introduction to Destination 105
00:33 Navigating the City and Traffic Woes
01:29 Early Life and Culinary Beginnings
02:14 First Culinary Experiences and Inspirations
04:40 Transition to Professional Kitchens
14:13 MasterChef Journey and Challenges
31:36 Mental Health and Career Decisions
37:20 Starting a Private Dining Business
46:33 Dinner Party Dilemma
47:12 Police Escort to the Rescue
49:34 The Importance of Private Chefing
52:20 Navigating Social Media as a Chef
58:05 The Great British Menu Experience
01:17:14 Final Thoughts and Fun Questions
Links/Socials
Website- https://www.cheflouisaellis.com/
Insta- https://www.instagram.com/cheflouisaellis/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/cheflouisaellis/
X- https://x.com/cheflouisaellis
Sponsors
Stock Local Craft Rum Burning Barn In Your Venue- https://www.burningbarnrum.com/pages/trade-1
Buy Burning Barn Rum- https://www.burningbarnrum.com/collections/3-rums
Follow Burning Barn On Insta- https://www.instagram.com/burningbarnrum/
Food Delivery Businesses Sign Up & Save Money With Easy Food Here- https://easyfood.co.uk/restaurant-opportunity
Download Easy Food App Here- https://easyfood.co.uk/
Follow Easy Food On Insta- https://www.instagram.com/easyfood.co.uk/
Follow Easy Food West Mids- https://www.instagram.com/easyfood.westmidlands/
Opening Drone Footage From Rob At Alto Drones- https://www.instagram.com/alto.drones/
Music From Tom Ford- https://www.instagram.com/thetennischampion/
If you enjoyed this episode why not take a look back at our episodes with
Simpsons Chef Director Luke Tipping
Breaking Bread Birmingham- The Podcast For Food Lovers In Birmingham
