Where Is New MasterChef Host Anna Haugh’s Restaurant?

After 20 years with an all-male duo at the helm, MasterChef is switching the dial. The BBC has confirmed Irish chef Anna Haugh and food critic Grace Dent will be replacing Gregg Wallace and John Torode as the show’s new hosts.

Both have featured on the show before: Haugh stepped in to replace Wallace in the final episodes of the current series after he was fired for allegations of misconduct. Dent, meanwhile, was a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics in 2023, and presented the most recent series of Celebrity MasterChef alongside Torode (prior to Torode also being sacked from the show).

But Haugh and Dent have had fruitful careers outside of TV, too. Dent is one of the UK’s most renowned restaurant critics, while Haugh runs a restaurant in Chelsea, London: Myrtle. 

Who Is Anna Haugh?

Born in Tallaght, South Dublin, Haugh became interested in cooking from a young age. ‘I was lucky to cook alongside my mother as soon as I could stand, and, from the first day I helped her to make dinner in our bright orange kitchen… I loved it,’ she wrote in her cookbook. However, she initially didn’t think cooking was a viable profession – triggered by a comment from a career advisor, who told her being a chef wasn’t a realistic dream for women.

Yet after landing a job in a restaurant kitchen, Haugh knew this was the right path for her and decided to pursue her passion. She studied at Dublin Food school before securing an apprenticeship at L’Ecrivain, the now-closed Michelin-starred French restaurant run by Derry and Sallyanne Clarke. ‘When I was hired to work in the kitchen – which was a big deal, because back then it wasn’t like everybody was screaming out for chefs – I was very excited because there were so many women, it was really amazing,’ she told the Evening Standard. ‘You had men and women of all ranks, so there was never, ever a question about gender.’

However, things were a little different when she moved to London. Haugh joined the team at one of London’s most esteemed restaurants, Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia, where she felt like a ‘dancing monkey because there were no other women’. Nonetheless, she says she learnt a lot there, particularly from notoriously Australian chef Shane Osborn, who she described as ‘amazingly skilled’ (but also ‘very emotional and very young to be a head chef’). 

After two years, Haugh left and started a new job at The Square in Mayfair, working under Philip Howard. A year later, she returned to Pied à Terre as sous chef, but after one too many dramatic episodes with fiery Osborn, Haugh decided it was time to try something new. She joined high-end catering company Rocket Foods, rising up the ranks to be director of food, until she was drawn back into the restaurant world after getting the opportunity of a lifetime: to open Gordon Ramsay’s new eatery, London House in Battersea. Under her helm, it landed 3 AA Rosettes in just a year.

Myrtle

What Is Anna Haugh’s Restaurant?

In 2019, Haugh opened her debut restaurant Myrtle on Langton Street in Chelsea, which draws on her Irish heritage. Guests can opt for the ‘Taste of Ireland’ seven-course tasting menu, which changes with the seasons and includes the likes of Carlingford oysters, black pudding with barley and pecan, Burren beef boxty and Guinness cake. Alternatively, the a la carte menu includes dishes like Anna’s carrot salad, dingle pie, and oat crusted halibut.

Alongside this, there’s an extensive wine list featuring bottles from around Europe. For something more casual, you can go to The Wee Sister Wine Bar, perched beside the restaurant and serving Irish-inspired snacks.

BBC/Shine TV

Anna Haugh’s TV Career

Prior to securing the MasterChef gig, Haugh has featured in a number of TV programmes. She co-presented two seasons of the BBC’s Royal Recipes, and regularly appears on shows like Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch. Earlier this year she presented a cookery series called Anna Haugh’s Big Irish Food Tour, which aired on BBC One Northern Ireland.

She’s no stranger to the MasterChef world either, having replaced Monica Galetti as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals for series 15. 

Commenting on her new role as MasterChef host, Haugh said: ‘I’m delighted to be back on MasterChef and judging alongside the wonderful Grace Dent, whose writing and wit I’ve admired for years. MasterChef has long inspired and resonated with cooks in home kitchens and of course in my industry. I can’t wait to get into the studio for what will be a great competition.’

Myrtle is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, at 1A Langton St, London SW10 0JL. myrtlerestaurant.com