Rochdale chef is youngest to win Michelin star in Scotland

Photo: Mike Guest

Left to right: Tomás Gormley and Sam Yorke

A chef originally from Rochdale has become the youngest in Scotland to receive a Michelin star for the restaurant he runs with another chef.

Sam Yorke, 25, and Tomás Gormley, 28, have become the youngest chefs in Edinburgh to be awarded the highly coveted Michelin star for their restaurant, Heron.

Sam trained at the Edinburgh New Town Cooking School before working at the much applauded (now closed) Castle Terrace, where he graduated from commis to sous chef in less than two years under the guidance of chef Dominic Jack. Sam views chef Dominic as an inspiring mentor and credits him as having taught, ‘proper cooking with classic technique and great attention to detail’. 

The pair first joined forces as head chefs with a pop-up at-home fine dining experience, Bad Seeds, during covid which was a sell-out each week. They met when they were both working at Seasons (now closed) which was included in the Michelin Guide.

Since opening in 2021, Heron offers farm to table fine dining with an à la carte menu and two tasting menus that change every few weeks, showcasing the best of Scotland’s seasonal produce including organic fruit and vegetables, wild fish and seafood, and game and heritage breed meat.

On their win Sam commented: “To say that I’m delighted would be an understatement. It means a great deal to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation for our work at Heron. It’s a real testament to the unwavering focus and dedication of the entire team, without whom we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Sam was recently named in The Code 30 under 30 class for 2023/24 as one of the most exciting young chefs in the UK.