Mark Ernest Hix is an English
chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...
and
restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...
whose traditional English menus often feature foraged and local foods. Prior to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Hix was based in London, but announced in January 2021 that he would be relocating to Dorset permanently after five of his restaurants were put into
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
.
[
]
Early life
Hix was born and raised in West Bay, Dorset
West Bay, originally known as Bridport Harbour, is a small harbour settlement and resort on the English Channel coast in Dorset, England, sited at the mouth of the River Brit approximately south of Bridport. The area is part of the Jurassic Co ...
.[ His parents divorced when he was six; while his brother Kevin went to live with their mother, their father had custody of Mark.][ His father was absent much of the time, so he spent a lot of time with his paternal grandfather, who was a jack of all trades: a chrysanthemum gardener, Bridport mayor, and bar owner.][ Hix decided to take domestic science rather than metalwork because he heard it was a good place to meet girls; to his surprise, he won a cooking award not long after.][ Though he considered becoming a professional golfer, he ended up attending the local Weymouth Culinary College instead.][
]
Career
Hix moved to London from Dorset when he was 18 and his first job was in the staff canteen at the London Hilton on Park Lane
The London Hilton on Park Lane is a hotel situated on Park Lane, overlooking Hyde Park in the exclusive Mayfair district of London. It is tall, has 28 storeys and 453 rooms including 56 suites and a Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Wind ...
.[ He had his first head chef position at age 22. Since then, he has worked at both ]The Ivy
The Ivy is a British restaurant which is known for being popular with celebrities. It is located on West Street near Cambridge Circus in London, opposite the Ambassadors and St Martin's theatres, making it a popular restaurant for theaterg ...
and Le Caprice
Le Caprice was a restaurant in London's St James's area famous for being frequented by celebrities. It was originally opened by Mario Gallati in 1947 at 20 Arlington St. Famous patrons included Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales (born ...
, and became Caprice Holding's Chef Director in 1999.[ After 17 years with the company, he left in 2007 to open the successful Hix Oyster and Chop House near the ]Smithfield market
Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England.
Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...
with business partner Ratnesh Bagdai.[
]
Following the success of Chop House, Hix opened HIX Mayfair (previously The Abermarle),[ which opened inside ]Brown's Hotel
Brown's Hotel is a luxury hotel in Mayfair, London, established in 1837 and owned by Rocco Forte Hotels since 3 July 2003. It is considered one of London's oldest existing hotels.
History
Brown's Hotel was founded in 1837, by James and Sarah Br ...
in 2008 and closed in 2017;[ HIX Soho, opened in 2009 and closed in 2019;] HIX Belgravia, opened in London's Hotel Belgravia in 2011 and closed the following year;[ and HIX City (previously Hixter City) in Devonshire Square, open 2013 to 2015.][ The City and Soho locations also featured a Mark's Bar.][ A third Mark's Bar, the first stand-alone location, opened at ]The Old Vic theatre
The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal V ...
in 2015 and closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
HIX has also operated a number of restaurants outside his main London HIX brand. In 2005, while still working for Caprice, Hix opened The Rivington Bar and Grill, which he operated anonymously until Caprice later bought the restaurant.[ It closed in 2017 and was replaced by the Blacklock Shoreditch. The Tramshed, also in ]Shoreditch
Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area.
In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...
, opened in 2011 and Hixter Bankside in 2014; both closed when Hix's restaurants went into administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.[ The Tramshed had a basement art gallery and Bankside had a Mark's Bar. Back home in Dorset, Hix opened the HIX Oyster and Fish House (2008—2020, 2020—present) and ]boutique hotel
Boutique hotels are small inventory, design driven, unique hotels with their own character, personality and storytelling at the heart of their concept. Positioning is secondary for these hotels as they focus on authenticity and personalization ...
the HIX Townhouse (2014—2020), both in Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the Herita ...
.[ He also previously operated a Champagne and caviar bar inside Selfridges on Oxford Street, which was open between 2010 and 2013,] and a small pop-up cocktail bar, opened in 2013 and now closed. He and longtime friend Damien Hirst collaborated on the opening of Pharmacy 2, a revival of Hirst's Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...
restaurant Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
(1997—2003), in Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
next to Hirst's Newport Street Gallery
The Newport Street Gallery is an art gallery in London, London, England which displays works selected from the personal art collection of Damien Hirst. It is located on Newport Street in Vauxhall and is the realisation of Hirst's long-term ambitio ...
.[ Pharmacy 2 is now closed.
In 2016, he went into business with hospitality group Westbury Street Holdings (WSH) and became a minor shareholder.] In April 2020, shortly after COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
shutdowns began, WSH put Hix's restaurants in administration, which closed Hix Oyster and Chop House, Bankside, Tramshed, Mark's Bar, HIX Soho, and HIX Oyster and Fish House.[ He claims this was done without his consent, input, or knowledge.] Prior to the closures, HIX restaurants employed 130 staff members. Hix moved home to Dorset to regroup. Just two months later, Hix started the HIX Oyster and Fish Truck out of a converted Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
ambulance he found on eBay for £8,000.[ In July, he reopened the Oyster and Fish House] and was hired as the Director of Food and Drink and as art curator for 1 Lombard Street's reopening. He has also purchased The Fox Inn in Corscombe
Corscombe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset, in the Dorset Council administrative area. The parish includes the small settlements of Benville and Toller Whelme to the south and in the 2011 census had a population of ...
from PJ Harvey's mother, a family friend, and opened the country pub in December 2020 on his 58th birthday. The inn's restaurant features local ingredients. Hix reopened Mark's Bar in Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was develop ...
in October 2020.[
In January 2021, he announced he would be relocating permanently to Dorset.][
]
Other ventures
Hix collaborates with alma mater Weymouth College
Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth ...
, which named their culinary programme Hix Academy in his honour[ and sponsors the HIX Award, an annual art prize for emerging artists.
]
Television and Publications
Hix competed in the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
television series ''Great British Menu
''Great British Menu'' is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four-course banquet.
Format
Series one and two were presented by Jennie Bond, the former BBC Royal correspondent, where ...
'' in 2007, winning the South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...
heat and beating the reigning champion, Michael Caines
Michael Andrew Caines (born 3 January 1969) is an English chef born in Exeter, Devon.
He was head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon until January 2016. He is currently the executive chef of the Lympstone Manor hotel between Exeter and Exmo ...
. In doing so, two of his courses were put forward for the public vote. The main course was a crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...
and rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
stargazy pie
Stargazy pie (sometimes called starrey gazey pie, stargazey pie and other variants) is a Cornish dish made of baked pilchards (sardines), along with eggs and potatoes, covered with a pastry crust. Although there are a few variations using othe ...
and, for dessert, a perry
Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also made ...
jelly with summer fruits with an elderflower
''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...
ice-cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
.[ He has also appeared on '']Saturday Kitchen
''Saturday Kitchen Live'' is a British cookery programme, that is broadcast live on BBC One every Saturday between 10.00am and 11.30am produced by Cactus TV.
History
2002–2003
After a pilot hosted by Ainsley Harriott on 14 April 2001, the ...
'', ''Food and Drink
''Food and Drink'' is a British television series on BBC Two. First broadcast between 1982 and 2002, it was the first national television programme in the UK to cover the subject of food and drink without cookery and recipe demonstrations.
Histo ...
'', '' This Morning'', ''Global Pulse'', and the minidocumentary ''Mark Hix on Salt''.
In addition to his cookbooks, Hix has written for ''The Telegraph
''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include:
Australia
* ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' (2020—present), ''City A.M.
''City A.M.'' is a freesheet, free business-focused newspaper distributed in and around London, England, with an accompanying website. Its certified distribution was 85,738 copies a day in February 2020, according to statistics compiled by the A ...
'', '' GQ'', ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' (2002—2016), and ''Esquire UK
''Esquire Magazine'' (UK edition) is a monthly men's magazine originally owned by the ''National Magazine Company'' (since 2011, following a merger, renamed ''Hearst Magazines UK''), a subsidiary of the US-based Hearst Corporation. The first editi ...
''. In March 2021, he started hosting ''Soul Kitchen'' on Lyme Bay Radio with Neil Charlton.[
]
Controversy
Popular British television chef Keith Floyd
Keith Floyd (28 December 1943 – 14 September 2009) was a British celebrity Chef, cook, restaurateur, television personality and Gastronomy, "gastronaut" who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and t ...
lunched at Hix Oyster and Fish House hours before he suffered a fatal heart attack in September 2009. After Floyd's death, Hix offered a special on the menu called 'Keith Floyd's Last Lunch' which was seen by some as an appropriate tribute and was criticised by others.[
]
Personal life
He and his ex Lara Cazalet
Lara Imogen Leonora Cazalet (born 25 May 1973) is an English actress, known for portraying Zandra Plackett in '' Bad Girls'' and Annie Quick in '' New Street Law''.
Early life
Cazalet is the daughter of Sir Edward Cazalet, a retired High Court ...
have a daughter named Isla.[ He also has twin daughters Ellie and Lydia from a previous relationship.][
]
Honours and awards
Hix was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours
The 2017 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours were awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
for services to hospitality.
Cookbooks
* ''Eat Up: Food for Children of All Ages'' (, 2000)
* ''Simple Ways to Success: British'' (, 2003)
* ''Fish etc. The Ultimate Book for Seafood lovers'' (, 2004)
* ''British Food'' (, 2005)
* ''Simple Art of Marrying Food and Wine'' (with Malcolm Gluck
Malcolm Gluck is a British author, broadcaster and wine columnist.
Career
Initially an advertising copywriter for Collett Dickenson Pearce, Doyle Dane Bernbach, a founder employee of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and later creative director for Lin ...
) (, 2005)
* ''British Regional Food'' (, 2006), (, 2008)
* ''British Seasonal Food'' (, 2008), (, 2011)
* ''Easy Everyday British'' (, 2009)
* ''Hix Oyster & Chop House'' (, 2010)
* ''Fish Etc: The Ultimate Book for Seafood Lovers'' (, 2011)
* ''Mark Hix on Baking: Savoury & Sweet Recipes'' (, 2012)
* ''British Regional Food'' (, 2012)
* ''Valeria Napoleone's Catalogue of Exquisite Recipes'' (with Valeria Napoleone and Jennifer Higgie
Jennifer Higgie is an Australian novelist, screenwriter, art critic and editor of the London-based contemporary arts magazine, ''Frieze''.
The Australian band Falling Joys, whose lead singer is her sister Susie Higgie, released the song "Jennife ...
) (, 2012)
* ''Mark Hix: The Collection'' (, 2013)
* ''Hooked: Adventures in Angling & Eating'' (, 2019)
External links
Hix Oyster and Chop House, Farringdon
Hix Oyster and Fish House, Lyme Regis
BBC Great British Menu (featuring Mark's complete menu from the show)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hix, Mark
Living people
English chefs
People from Dorset
Reality cooking competition contestants
Members of the Order of the British Empire
1962 births