Famous 20th Century Chefs

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 1 
Julia Child
(American Chef, Author and Television Personality)
Julia Child
30
Birthdate: August 15, 1912
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Pasadena, California, United States
Died: August 13, 2004
Julia Child gained fame with her culinary show The French Chef and her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She also founded The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. She received several Emmys and the Peabody Award for her work, and had a rose named after her.
 2 
Bobby Flay
(Celebrity Chef Known for His Work with 'Food Network' & Owner of 'Bobby's Burger Palace', 'Mesa Grill')
Bobby Flay
37
Birthdate: December 10, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is best known for his Food Network shows, such as the Emmy-nominated Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay. He launched many restaurants, such as the Las Vegas-based Mesa Grill and 19 outlets of Bobby's Burger Palace. He has also taught at the French Culinary Institute.
 3 
Anthony Bourdain
(American Celebrity Chef and TV Personality)
Anthony Bourdain
34
Birthdate: June 25, 1956
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: June 8, 2018

Anthony Bourdain was an American celebrity chef. He was also a renowned author, media personality and travel documentarian. His shows about the exploration of international culture and cuisine were very popular. Apart from writing several books on food and cooking and travel explorations, Bourdain also wrote fiction and historical non-fiction. In June 8, 2018, he died by suicide in France.

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 4 
Rachael Ray
(American Celebrity Chef and Host of the Food Network Show ‘30 Minute Meals’)
Rachael Ray
40
Birthdate: August 25, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Warrensburg, New York, United States
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is best known for her Food Network show 30 Minute Meals. She also made waves with her talk show Rachael Ray and her culinary shows such as Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. She has also authored several cookbooks and launched the magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray.
 5 
Paula Deen
(American Chef, Cookbook Author and TV Personality)
Paula Deen
16
Birthdate: January 19, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Albany, Georgia, United States
Culinary show host and chef Paula Deen is known for her Emmy-winning Food Network show Paula's Home Cooking. She owns Paula Deen's Creek House and The Lady & Sons restaurant. Apart from writing several cookbooks, she has also appeared in the film Elizabethtown and the show Dancing with the Stars.
 6 
Wolfgang Puck
(Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur)
Wolfgang Puck
26
Birthdate: July 8, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria

Wolfgang Puck is an Austrian-American restaurateur. In 1973, Puck moved to the US and opened a restaurant named Spago in 1982. He then established himself as a respected restaurateur by opening several other restaurants. In 2013, he was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. Also an actor, Puck has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 7 
Jacques Pepin
(Chef)
Jacques Pepin
13
Birthdate: December 18, 1935
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bourg-en-Bresse, French Third Republic France
 8 
Curtis Stone
(Australian Celebrity Chef, Author and Television Personality)
Curtis Stone
13
Birthdate: November 4, 1975
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia

Curtis Stone is an Australian celebrity chef, TV personality, and author. One of the proteges of Marco Pierre White, Curtis Stone is best known for appearing in several popular cooking shows, including Saturday Kitchen, Take Home Chef, and MasterChef Australia. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Stone works closely with a domestic hunger-relief charity called Feeding America.

 9 
Vikas Khanna
(Chef)
Vikas Khanna
11
Birthdate: November 14, 1971
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Amritsar, India
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 10 
Thomas Keller
(American Chef & Restaurateur)
Thomas Keller
12
Birthdate: October 14, 1955
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California, United States
 11 
Auguste Escoffier
(Chef)
Auguste Escoffier
8
Birthdate: October 28, 1846
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Villeneuve-Loubet, France
Died: February 12, 1935
 12 
Paul Hollywood
(Celebrity Chef and Television Presenter, Widely Known as a Judge on 'The Great British Bake Off')
Paul Hollywood
33
Birthdate: March 1, 1966
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Wallasey, Cheshire, England

Paul Hollywood is an English television presenter and celebrity chef. Since 2010, he has been appearing as a judge on the popular television baking competition, The Great British Bake Off. Paul Hollywood is also a motor racer. He has competed in several tournaments, such as GT Cup. In 2017, he took part in a race at Circuit of the Americas.

 13 
Emeril Lagasse
(Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur Known for His Show 'Essence of Emeril' on The Food Network)
Emeril Lagasse
26
Birthdate: October 15, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Fall River, Massachusetts, United States
Celebrity chef Emeril Lagassé is known for his signature New New Orleans style of cooking and his catchphrases such as “Bam!” He owns several restaurants, has written many cookbooks, owns a non-profit for underprivileged children, and has also hosted Food Network shows such as Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live.
 14 
Alton Brown
(American Television Personality and Food Show Presenter)
Alton Brown
23
Birthdate: July 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Alton Brown soared to fame as the creator of the Food Network culinary show Good Eats. He has also hosted shows such as Iron Chef America and Feasting on Asphalt. He has authored several bestselling cookbooks. He also created two culinary shows on YouTube during the COVID-19 lockdown.
 15 
Mario Batali
(American Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur)
Mario Batali
20
Birthdate: September 19, 1960
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States

Mario Batali is an American chef, restaurateur, writer, and media personality. He started hogging the limelight after appearing on some of Food Network's shows, such as Iron Chef America and Molto Mario. Also a well-known philanthropist and social activist, Batali established the Mario Batali Foundation in 2008, which funds pediatric disease research and various children's educational programs.

 16 
Typhoid Mary
(The First Person to be Identified as an Asymptomatic Carrier of the Pathogenic Bacteria 'Salmonella Typhi')
Typhoid Mary
14
Birthdate: September 23, 1869
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland
Died: November 11, 1938

Irish immigrant Mary Mallon, or Typhoid Mary, worked as a cook in affluent American households. When people started falling ill in and around places where Mary had worked, it was discovered that she was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid. Escaping every time, she caused three deaths and was eventually forcibly isolated.

 17 
Alice Waters
(American Chef, Restaurateur, and Author)
Alice Waters
6
Birthdate: April 28, 1944
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chatham, New Jersey, United States
 18 
Tana Ramsay
(English TV Broadcaster and Author of Cookery Books)
Tana Ramsay
5
Birthdate: December 11, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Croydon, London, England

Tana Ramsay is an English author famous for writing many cookbooks. The wife of popular chef Gordon Ramsay, Tana has appeared on several cooking shows, including the American version of MasterChef. A multi-talented personality, Tana Ramsay has also competed in a British reality television series called Dancing on Ice, where she was eliminated in the fourth week.

 19 
Robert Irvine
(Celebrity Chef and Talk Show Host)
Robert Irvine
17
Birthdate: September 24, 1965
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom
English celebrity chef, Robert Irvine, is also a talk show host and currently operates two restaurants: one in Las Vegas and other in The Pentagon. He has also hosted a variety of programs including Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, Restaurant: Impossible, A Hero's Welcome. Robert Irvine is the recipient of several civilian honors for his charitable work and service on numerous USO tours.
 20 
Ainsley Harriott
(English Chef and Television Presenter)
Ainsley Harriott
13
Birthdate: February 28, 1957
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Paddington, London, England

Ainsley Harriott is an English television presenter, chef, and entertainer. He is known for presenting popular cooking shows, such as Ready Steady Cook and Can't Cook, Won't Cook. A multi-talented personality, Ainsley Harriott is also a best-selling author whose books have sold more than two million copies worldwide.  He is also known for his singing and comedy skills.

 21 
Ina Garten
(Author and Host of the Food Network Show ‘Barefoot Contessa’)
Ina Garten
9
Birthdate: February 2, 1948
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, United States

Ina Garten is an American author and TV host best known for hosting Food Network's cooking show, Barefoot Contessa. Over the years, Garten has released several best-selling cookbooks, including The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home.

 22 
James Beard
(American Chef, Cookbook Author and Television Personality)
James Beard
5
Birthdate: May 5, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States
Died: January 23, 1985
 23 
Alain Ducasse
(Chef)
Alain Ducasse
6
Birthdate: September 13, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Orthez, France
 24 
Alex Guarnaschelli
(Chef)
Alex Guarnaschelli
19
Birthdate: June 20, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 25 
John Torode
(Australian-British Celebrity Chef and TV Presenter Known for His Show ‘MasterChef’ on BBC One)
John Torode
10
Birthdate: July 23, 1965
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Australian celebrity chef and restaurateur John Torode initially worked at the U.K.-based Conran Group's restaurants. He is also known for his appearances on shows such as This Morning and the revival of MasterChef in 2005. He owned the Luxe and Smiths of Smithfield and has also authored several cookbooks.
 26 
James Martin
(British Chef and Television Presenter Best Known for His Television Work with the BBC and ITV)
James Martin
13
Birthdate: June 30, 1972
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Malton, North Riding of Yorkshire, England

British chef James Martin initially gained fame with shows such as Ready Steady Cook and later hosted Saturday Kitchen for a decade. Apart from launching several restaurants, including a Michelin-starred one, he has also written food columns. He is an avid racing enthusiast and teaches at a cookery school, too.

 27 
Geoffrey Zakarian
(Chef)
Geoffrey Zakarian
8
Birthdate: July 25, 1959
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Worcester, Massachusetts, US
 28 
Anne Burrell
(American Chef and Television Presenter)
Anne Burrell
17
Birthdate: September 21, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cazenovia, New York, United States

Anne Burrell is an American chef and TV personality who hosts cooking television series like Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and Worst Cooks in America. She has also competed in several cooking competition shows like Chopped All-Stars Tournament. In 2015, Anne Burrell won the fourth season of Chopped and earned $75,000, which she donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

 29 
Duff Goldman
(American Pastry Chef, Television Personality and Cookbook Author)
Duff Goldman
7
Birthdate: December 17, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Duff Goldman is an American pâtissier, cookbook author, and television personality. The executive chef of Charm City Cakes shop, Goldman's work has been featured on several cooking television shows like Iron Chef America, Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time, and Food Network Challenge. Duff Goldman has made cakes for influential personalities like Barack Obama, Sir Roger Moore, and Tom Clancy.

 30 
Carl Ruiz
(Chef)
Carl Ruiz
3
Birthdate: April 4, 1975
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Passaic, New Jersey, United States
Died: September 21, 2019
 31 
Lidia Bastianich
(Italian-American Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Known for Her Cooking Shows)
Lidia Bastianich
12
Birthdate: February 21, 1947
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pula, Croatia

Lidia Bastianich is an Italian-American television host, celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author. She owns many restaurants in the US, including one in Manhattan. Bastianich is the recipient of several awards and honors, including a couple of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Also a philanthropist, Lidia Bastianich supports various non-profit organizations, such as the Columbus Citizens Foundation, which aims at promoting Italian-American heritage.

 32 
Michael Symon
(Chef)
Michael Symon
4
Birthdate: September 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 33 
Gordon Ramsay
(One of the Most Influential Chefs)
Gordon Ramsay
763
Birthdate: November 8, 1966
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland

A celebrated chef and restaurateur, British national Gordon Ramsay is also a writer and television personality. His TV shows about competitive cookery and food is quite popular. The Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in Chelsea, is his signature restaurant. Known for his bluntness, short temper and strict manner, Ramsay has historically expressed a dislike for vegetarianism and veganism.

 34 
Cat Cora
(Chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on Iron Chef America)
Cat Cora
5
Birthdate: April 3, 1967
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Height: 4'11" (150 cm)
 35 
Jose Andres
(Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur and Founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK))
Jose Andres
9
Birthdate: July 13, 1969
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mieres, Asturias, Spain

Jose Andres is a Spanish-born American restaurateur and chef. Andrés, who owns restaurants in many American cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, and Chicago, is credited with introducing the concept of small plates dining to America. Jose Andres was honored with the 2015 National Humanities Medal for founding a non-profit organization called World Central Kitchen.

 36 
Gesine Bullock-Prado
(Pastry chef, TV personality, author)
Gesine Bullock-Prado
6
Birthdate: March 6, 1970
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
 37 
Heston Blumenthal
(British Celebrity Chef, TV Personality and Food Writer)
Heston Blumenthal
24
Birthdate: May 27, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Shepherd's Bush, London, England

Heston Blumenthal is a British celebrity chef whose unusual recipes, such as Scotch eggs and triple-cooked chips have been widely imitated. He is considered a pioneer of multi-sensory cooking and his scientific approach to cooking has earned him honorary degrees from several universities. In 2004, he won the prestigious Chef Award, joining the likes of Phil Howard and Gordon Ramsay.

 38 
Carla Hall
(Chef who appeared in the fifth and eighth seasons of Top Chef, Bravo's cooking competition show)
Carla Hall
13
Birthdate: May 12, 1964
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 39 
Eddie Jackson
(Chef)
Eddie Jackson
3
Birthdate: December 19, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Americus, Georgia, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 40 
Gary Rhodes
(English Restaurateur and Television Chef)
Gary Rhodes
7
Birthdate: April 22, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
Died: November 26, 2019

Best known for his appearances on shows such as MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen, Gary Rhodes later also launched his own series, Rhodes Around Britain. He owned several restaurants in the UK and the Middle East. The celebrity chef shocked everyone with his untimely death at age 59 due to brain hemorrhage.

 41 
Katie Lee
(American Cookbook Author, Television Food Critic and Novelist)
Katie Lee
12
Birthdate: September 14, 1981
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Huntington, West Virginia, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 42 
Rick Bayless
(American Chef and Restaurateur)
Rick Bayless
6
Birthdate: November 23, 1953
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
 43 
Christine Ha
(First blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012)
Christine Ha
8
Birthdate: May 9, 1979
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Angeles County, California, United States
 44 
Jade Jones
(British R&B Singer and Chef)
Jade Jones
4
Birthdate: February 12, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: London, England
 45 
Grant Achatz
(American Chef and Restaurateur Known for His Contributions to Molecular Gastronomy or Progressive Cuisine)
Grant Achatz
8
Birthdate: April 25, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saint Clair, Michigan, United States
 46 
Eric Ripert
(Chef)
Eric Ripert
12
Birthdate: March 2, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Antibes, France
 47 
Adriano Zumbo
(Chef)
Adriano Zumbo
7
Birthdate: November 6, 1981
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Coonamble, New South Wales, Australia

Adriano Zumbo is an Australian television presenter and pastry chef. He is known for appearing as a guest on the TV show MasterChef Australia. He also hosts his own baking competition show Zumbo's Just Desserts and appears as a judge on Netflix's baking reality television series Sugar Rush. Thanks to his popularity, Zumbo has garnered several nicknames including Sweet Assassin.

 48 
Lorraine Pascale
(Celebrity Cook Known for Her Appearances in TV Shows: 'Baking Made Easy' and 'Home Cooking Made Easy')
Lorraine Pascale
11
Birthdate: November 17, 1972
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: London, England
British chef Lorraine Pascale has her TV shows in 70 countries worldwide and has sold one million books in UK. A highly successful fashion model in 1990s, Pascale is also the United Kingdom government Fostering and Adoption Ambassador. She was the first British Black model on the cover of American Elle and fronted campaigns for brands like Versace and Gap.
 49 
Joël Robuchon
(Chef)
Joël Robuchon
9
Birthdate: April 7, 1945
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Poitiers, Vienne, France
Died: August 6, 2018
 50 
Rick Stein
(English Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur and Television Presenter)
Rick Stein
12
Birthdate: June 30, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Churchill, Oxfordshire, England

Celebrity chef Rick Stein has managed the U.K.’s Stein Hotel and Restaurant with his first wife, Jill Stein. He later became the head chef and co-owner of Rick Stein at Bannisters in Australia, with his second wife, Sarah. He has authored cookbooks and presented culinary shows such as Seafood Odyssey.