Jun Tanaka

Jun Tanaka is a Japanese-British television chef most well-known for presenting Cooking It on Channel 4. Born in America, Tanaka lived in Japan before he moved to England when he was just seven years old. Growing up he always wanted to be a chef and when he was old enough, Tanaka became an apprentice chef at one of his father's restaurants.

His first apprenticeship came at Le Gavroche which is owned by the Roux brothers, the restaurant consistently ranks within the worlds Restaurant's Top 50 list. From an early age, Tanaka was working with some of the world's finest chefs and was learning from the best. Although this was great for his development and education, it meant he was constantly dealing with pressure. As a speaker, he often discusses how to deal with pressure and how to ensure you still perform to your optimum.

After his apprenticeship, Tanaka worked at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White as a sous chef under Marco Pierre White himself. After working alongside some of the best chefs in the world for a number of years, he had developed his skills and become an exceptionally good chef. This saw his first, major chef role as he was appointed the executive head chef at the Pearl Restaurant and Bar, this is a restaurant within the five star Chancery Court Hotel.

As a speaker, Tanaka often discusses the chefs he has worked alongside and how important it was in his development of becoming one of the world's leading chefs. He often speaks about the importance of teamwork and leadership within the cooking and business world.

Tanaka opened his own restaurant called The Ninth in 2015. Within two years, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star in the 2017 guide. As well as opening his own restaurant, Tanaka has become a regular on television. He presented his own show on Channel 4 and regularly appears on BBC One's Saturday Kitchen.

His time spent on television has seen Tanaka gain invaluable presenting skills, he has a calming and warming personality which makes his audiences love him. His expertise and knowledge on cooking and a number of business-related topics make him a truly inspiring after dinner speaker. When at events, Tanaka often discusses drive and determination, as well as being under the spotlight.