A year since M Bar and Grill in Twickenham first opened, Richmond and Twickenham Times spoke to its executive chef, Mike Reid, about the his and the restaurant's journey so far.

Opened in 2017, M can be found in Brewery Lane, a stone's throw away from Twickenham Station and close to the river.

Originally from London, Mike started cooking in 2001 at the Truffles of Southsea brasserie. He described Twickenham as a "great area." When asked why he chose Twickenham, he said he wanted to "bring a touch of London to the suburbs."

"M Bar and Grill is an interpretation of traditional English pub food, with classics I grew up eating, in our style using seasonal ingredients. Its a place for everyone, somewhere the whole family can come. What's different about a restaurant in the suburbs is you really get to know the customers as they are often regulars - we try to make it everyone's local."

Mr Reid moved back to the capital after graduating and secured an apprenticeship at The In & Out club in St James, following by a string of some of London’s finest.

His impressive career saw him train in two of London’s definitive fine dining restaurants: Le Gavroche and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. It was a period of his workplace education that was deeply formative, inculcating him with sound fundamentals and savvy intuition.

Mike left London in 2013 to rattle the pans in Australia’s thriving restaurant scene, spending six months undertaking stages at a number of Melbourne’s most celebrated restaurants. These included a stint working with world class chef Ben Shewry in Attica - ranked number 32 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He then worked in Andrew Macdonald’s 2 Hat restaurant Cutler and Co, which offered him deep insight into Modern Australian cuisine and its many Asian influences.

During his time in Australia, Mike had the opportunity to cook for some of Australia's finest chefs, including George Calombaris, Curtis Stone and Peter Gilmore. He also cooked alongside Heston Blumenthal at The Skinny Duck, a charity event for FareShare Australia which raised funds for disadvantaged children.

After spending some time honing his skills in Australia, Mike returned to the United Kingdom in 2014 to open one of London’s most interesting restaurants of the year – M. A year later, he returned full time to London to open the second M in Victoria St and write his first cook book, M: A 24 Hour Cookbook.

2016 was a big year for Mike, first appearing on Channel 4’s hugely popular Sunday Brunch, followed by BBC Great British Menu where he represented London and the South East region. He followed this with appearances on BBC MasterChef and Tricks of the Restaurant Trade on C4. In the summer of 2017 Mike opened the third M In Twickenham which is 100% British menu where he is showcasing the best of traditional British cuisine with his modern flair.

Mike said: "You really do get to know the community, with the same customers coming in. Its very different than a restaurant in central London. I hope it keeps growing and expanding."