Benji joined Woodfired Canteen for the opening of the Mount Hawke cafe. He stands out as a solid, inspiring and disciplined head chef with a calm and kind leadership style cooking consistently delicious food. Before settling in Cornwall, Benji built his career as a high end chef in ski resorts where he learnt creativity in high pressure kitchens. Alongside leading the Canteen kitchen he's the talent behind our bespoke Woodfired Weddings menus where he designs unique and seasonal dishes to match a couple's taste and vision. Away from the kitchen, Benji balances his life walking the coast with his partner and two dogs and sometimes a pint!

Ben creates a really special experience with his colourful and exciting food which sparked the founding of the people and purpose lead Canteen cafe in 2017. He has a background in operations and has cooked with some amazing chefs around the world. Ben’s role is creative with an eye on operations both day to day and the weddings and events. Ben tends to be the face of Woodfired Canteen. He has delivered two TED talks, self published a cook book and regularly appears on Radio. Ben’s favourite subject is his wife and girls, so if you want to hear about something truly inspiring just ask him!

An Established chef and food writer- Ben is passionate about the food of the Mediterranean basin - Ben is also an accomplished, award-winning food writer with five published cookbooks. Sicilia, Moorish, Grill Smoke BBQ, Salt Yard, The Food & Wine of Spain, Glorious Game and Mediterra. Moorish was published in April 2019 receiving critical acclaim including being named “Cookbook of the Year"" by The Times Magazine. Ben’s fourth book, SICILIA, was published June 2021 and has featured a in the Times, Telegraph, Delicious, Food and Travel, ES and Olive. In August 2019 Ben opened “Norma” a Sicilian-Moorish influenced restaurant on London’s Charlotte Street in a beautiful five storey Georgian townhouse. Ben also oversaw all the food operations at the Stafford London in St James including the American Bar, The Game Bird restaurant and the private dining facilities. Ben is Chef Director of Cubitt House. A group of eight, iconic central London food led pubs. Each pub is individual and menus vary between British chop house and Mediterranean focused.

A South East London native, Betty’s professional chef journey began at festivals, notably at Meatopia 1 heading up the team for London Log Co.. Supporting chefs and keeping the fires burning, she became known as the ‘Coal Girl’. This role allowed her to explore opportunities which ultimately inspired a move to the other side of the grills. She has since cooked at numerous events and restaurants, working alongside some legendary talents, including Niklas Ekstedt, Scully and Hangfire BBQ, and is currently junior sous at John Chantarasak’s AngloThai in Marylebone. Now drawing on close to a decade of stepping in to help out wherever a spare pair of hands are needed, Betty’s own food combines flavours and techniques from across the globe, creating vibrant dishes which champion local and seasonal produce. With her own event catering company BBQ and Blooms, Betty combines her experience cooking everywhere from beaches to manor houses together fields, 20 years of floristry and many years in hospitality, fish mongering, and retail (as well as a love of throwing a good party) to explore the performative nature of live fire cooking and offer a multi-sensory experience.

CAI AP BRYN is a Welsh chef, hunter, and fire-cooking specialist known for his bold, honest approach to wild food. Cai has a deep connection to the land and champions sustainably sourced game and nose-to-tail butchery. Specialising in venison and wild game, he focuses on reconnecting people with the origins of their food through ethical sourcing and traditional preparation techniques. The founder of Game and Flames, offering live-fire catering, butchery workshops, and outdoor cooking events celebrating the best of Britain’s wild larder. A regular at National food shows and on the FieldSports Channel, his energetic demos and hands-on teaching style have made him a respected voice in the wild food community, and twice awarded Eat Game Influencer of the Year. Whether cooking in woodland settings or leading feasts over flames, Cai brings authenticity, passion, and a deep respect for the food. His mission is simple: to inspire others to cook, eat, and think more closely about where their food comes from.

Chloe became part of the Canteen family in 2020. Amongst a pandemic backdrop Chloe stepped up as the heart and soul of our first Canteen in St Agnes. Chloe helped guide the team through this period of time and became a co-owner. Chloe heads up Canteen at Mount Hawke and leads at our events and weddings. Chloe loves community and fosters deep connections with all who come to the table. A strong sense of home, humour and family is what Chloe was reared on. Chloe forges business collaborations and brand alignments and with her art and design history she keeps the merch fresh. She's a fiery force!

As Executive Chef at NIJŪ, Chris is at the forefront of bringing Creative Restaurant Group's Culinary Director, Chef Endo Kazutoshi's vision to life. Their collaborative efforts result in a Japanese inspired menu that seamlessly blends authenticity with contemporary flair. NIJŪ'S menu showcases the epitome of Japanese culinary artistry. NIJŪ'S culinary offerings including heart warming Katei Ryori dishes, evolving with the seasons, embody a 'less is more' philosophy, with Chris playing a critical role in sourcing the finest ingredients, from prime cuts of beef to the freshest vegetables. A maestro in the kitchen, Chris takes pride in fostering a serene environment that allows the quality of the produce to shine. His leadership philosophy centres on nurturing a team that understands the vision and ethos behind every plate leaving the kitchen.

David has truly dedicated his life to fish. As a self-taught, live-fire chef, he creatively substitutes fish where you’d typically find meat, offering a modern and relaxed culinary style. He sources his fish directly from the coast, crafting dishes that are both surprising and delightful. With over 15 years of experience as a fishmonger, David has worked in some of London’s finest fishmongers before opening his own shop, Life of Fish, in 2020. He now owns two shops and the fish concession in Selfridges, in addition to hosting pop-ups and private events. Many people are intimidated by cooking fish, but David believes it’s a comparable alternative to meat and can be prepared in the same ways. His mission is to inspire more people to use fish in place of meat, making it a regular part of their culinary repertoire.

The Bodega is a New York inspired Sandwich shop based on Norwich Market. Run by Chef Edd Watkinson it offers a variety of different sandwiches with flavour combinations from around the world. The Bodega has been open for a little under 2 years now and has expanded into pop ups in other local businesses and at events. In 2023 The Bodega won best newcomer in The East of England Food & Drink awards.