Two-time winner of BBC’s Great British Menu Kenny Atkinson has recently launched his first solo restaurant in London dubbed Solaya. Below, find out more about Atkinson's fascinating career, Newcastle's evolving restaurant scene, and the biggest food trends for 2026.
Atkinson champions ingredient-led dishes with punchy flavours. Aside from Solaya, he is also Chef Patron and Owner of Newcastle's Michelin-starred House of Tides and Solstice by Kenny Atkinson. As such, he is the first chef to ever hold two separate Michelin stars for two different restaurants in the northern city.
The ethos at Solaya is to create a menu that is inspired by the flavours and spirit of Southern France and the Mediterranean coast: bright, generous, seasonal, and convivial. However, the ethos isn’t just on the food but the hospitality that the team at Solaya deliver. It is important we make every guest feel welcome and create an environment that makes them feel special and memorable.
What makes us stand out from the crowd at Solaya is not just the food and the hospitality but the setting too, the decor and the amazing views isn’t just a backdrop, it’s an integral part of the dining experience.
The architecture of the building, the 360-degree panoramic views of London, and the interior design all set a tone that influences the dining experience for our guests.
Over the years, I have had great success both in achieving accolades and winning awards, but launching Solaya ranks as one of the proudest and most significant milestones of my career as a chef.
Not just because of what it means for me personally, but I can now be part of growing the dining scene in one of the best cities in the world.
The restaurant scene has changed massively over the past ten years. In Newcastle, before I opened House of Tides, the fine dining scene had historically struggled, so I knew I had to make the experience more approachable without compromising on quality.
That meant focusing on dishes that were bold in flavour but comforting and familiar enough to resonate with the local clientele. I also paid close attention to price points and portion sizes. People in Newcastle were looking for value as much as they were looking for excellence.
Ten years on, Newcastle now has two Michelin-starred restaurants for fine dining and has also seen the launch of lots more smaller fine dining restaurants opening around our region off the back of the success we have had in the city.
Being the first chef to hold Michelin stars for two separate restaurants in my home city of Newcastle is a huge honour but it also comes with a big responsibility. I have a responsibility to continue that platform for my team to develop their skills in order to move on and be successful themselves, but also a duty to our guests who pay a lot of money for an experience they deserve. The pressure is real, but I use the pressure to drive me on.
The most challenging part of my job is trying to balance my time with each of the three restaurants. Helping support my team to continue to drive creativity and development within the restaurants as well as sharing time with my family. However, the challenges are made easier as I have an amazing team in each of the restaurants as well as a very supportive wife.
I’d describe my cooking style as a blend of honesty, ambition, curiosity, clarity, and respect for ingredients. I always plan to showcase the main ingredient on the plate, but I love exploring flavours and techniques in exciting ways to please our guests.
My favourite dish on the menu at Solaya is without doubt our tuna carpaccio, a plate of beautiful, thinly sliced Blue Fin Tuna, simply dressed with a dressing made from mango vinegar, olive oil, finely diced red onion, red chilli & chives - simple, fresh and utterly delicious.
Winning the Great British Menu twice has truly helped catapult my career, especially in the public eye. As a young chef who was always eager to push myself, the opportunity of doing this on TV helped get me the recognition as a chef to finally open my own restaurants.
[My involvement with] TV programs such as Saturday Kitchen, James Martin Saturday Morning, Sky and Sunday Brunch, as well as having two successful restaurants achieving Michelin stars was certainly down to my success on the Great British Menu.
How I seek inspiration for new dishes is [down to] a combination of things. From speaking to suppliers to find out the best produce for the season, to reading books and watching cookery shows as well as eating out in different styles of restaurants to build my repertoire for food. However, the main inspiration I get is from speaking to my team of chefs about food and ingredients - a small idea can quickly grow into an amazing dish.
My guilty pleasure is without doubt cheese. I’m terrible for walking past the pastry kitchen and helping myself to the cheese board.
I think the biggest food trends for 2026 will see more restaurants offering a more homely, simpler, nostalgic and budget-conscious menus. Restaurants and food producers are responding to the challenges of the economic climate by offering more comfort foods, simpler fare and value-driven menus in order to meet the current challenges.
Hero image photo credit: Rebecca Hope
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