When James Tanner joined the popular BBC1 series Ready Steady Cook the show had close to 3 million viewers per episode. Since then he has appeared on Step up to the Plate, Saturday Kitchen, Something for the Weekend, Put Your Menu Where Your Mouth Is, Take on the Takeaway, Country House Sunday and is a resident chef on Lorraine.
In 2010 James launched his own range of products from cookware to kitchen textiles with Matalan, Previously, he was a regular co-presenter for Great Food Live for UKTV Food, and with his brother Chris, filmed the series The Tanner Brothers, which was broadcast on Carlton South West in 2003, and repeated on Great Food Live and UKTV Style.
James was the face of Blossom Hill‘s Summer 2012 campaign, and in Autumn 2012 launched the new range of Heinz soups. In 2013 he worked with Flora Buttery.
In 1999, aged 23, James and his brother Chris opened Tanners Restaurant in Plymouth. This was the perfect opportunity to put into practice their excellent Roux Brothers training. It was voted as the Best Restaurant in the UK for 2007/8 in the AA Awards. James and Chris moved on to open The Barbican Kitchen in Plymouth, Quayside Fresh farm shop, The Catch fish and chip shop in Looe, and The Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Kent which opened in May 2014 and within 8 months was listed in the Michelin pub guide, awarded 2 AA rosettes, and won the ˜One to Watch‘ award 2015 in the Budweiser Budvar Top 50 Gastropub Awards.
James is a regular at food festivals and in 2014 was appointed Chef Director of Salon Culinaire at the Hotelympia show. He is also the chairman of judges for The Nestlé Professional Toque d'Or, an annual competition for young catering students.
He is passionate about using local, seasonable and sustainable produce of excellent quality. James was involved in the first Red Tractor Week, supporting farmers, processors, retailers and distributors who work together to maintain and raise production standards, and in May 2015 hosted the Western Daily Press Food and Farming Awards.
James‘s books include 'For Chocolate Lovers' and 'Ice Cream' (co-written with his brother Chris), 'James Tanner Takes 5: Delicious Dishes Using Just 5 Ingredients' and 'Old Favourites, New Twists - 100 classic recipes with a difference'.