Scottish chef Lorna McNee is the Head of Cail Bruich, the first Glasgow restaurant to earn a Michelin star in 18 years. She is the first solo female to win a star in 20 years and is currently the only female chef to hold a star in Scotland. She was the 2019 winner of the popular BBC television series, the “Great British Menu.”
McNee was born and raised in the coastal town of Forres, Scotland and initially dreamed of a career as a photographer. After failing to secure a spot in photography school, she instead took a job in the kitchen of a local restaurant while studying at Moray College. She then went on to serve two weeks working in the kitchen at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in London, which led her to fully fall in love with the art of cooking.
Upon returning from London, a college lecturer of McNee’s wanted her to experience fine dining and took her to dinner at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at the Gleneagles Hotel. Captivated by the experience, she asked Fairlie if she could complete a work placement at the restaurant. At the end of the placement, she was granted a permanent job, altering the course of her life. She spent a little over a decade rising through the ranks from commis to sous-chef of the two- Michelin-star restaurant.
In an interview with Foodism, McNee said of her time with Fairlie at the restaurant, “He was humble, he was well disciplined and instilled in you that it's not just about cooking. Of course, the cooking's massive, but it's about your personality, and about being humble, about how you approach people, about how you talk to people, about how you respect ingredients.”
During this period, McNee’s boldness and dedication were rewarded with Game Chef of the Year in 2016 and National Scottish Chef of the Year in 2017. Her list of achievements grew further in 2021, when she was also named one of Observer Food Monthly's “Stars of the Future,” commended one of the 100 most influential women in hospitality by Code Hospitality, shortlisted for a GQ Food and Drink Award, and recognized as Square Meal’s Female Chef of The Year.