Find Harvey Pertolla on social media
Harvey Pertolla is a chef known for being one of the UK’s youngest head chefs. He has also been a representative from the Central region on BBC’s Great British Menu.
Born in Nottingham, Pertolla first became interested in cooking after moving to Edgbaston, Birmingham at age 11. Finding solace in the kitchen, he entered and won a school cookery contest at age 14—resulting in weekend shifts at Birmingham’s three-rosette Opus restaurant under the direction of chef David Colcombe.
Inspired by his mother and grandmother’s use of spices in their Punjabi dishes, Pertolla combined this knowledge with classical French techniques, British style, and seasonal produce. His approach paid off—he was a finalist in the 2015 British Culinary Federation Young Chef of the Year award, and a finalist and runner-up in the 2017 Chef Stagiaire. He attributes his success to his mentors— his single mother, and Colcombe, who both saw potential in him at an early age and worked to 'keep him out of trouble'.
His decade of culinary experience includes acting as sous chef at Swinfen Hall in Lichfield and being a part of the team that got Hampton Manor in Solihull their Michelin Star. He also served as the youngest-ever head chef at the Maribel in Birmingham, taking over after the departure of chef Richard Turner. Pertolla has since been appointed Head Chef at Restaurant Six, the elevated dining destination at Trent Bridge.
Pertolla, now aged 26, lives in Nottingham. In 2022 he competed against chefs Liam Dillon, Sally Abé, and Ben Orpwood, to represent the Central region for the BBC’s Great British Menu, which allowed the winning chef create dishes that celebrate 100 years of British broadcasting.