Spencer is 30 now, which sounds young until you consider that Spencer Metzger has been cooking professionally for half of his life. The Essex-born chef cold-called The Ritz at 15 for work experience. And most teenagers do work experience and promptly put it out of their minds. Spencer did his and was like, ‘OK, this is what I’m doing with my life.’
But that two-week placement became 13 years at The Ritz. He rose from apprentice to head chef, claimed the Roux Scholarship in 2019, won Great British Menu Champion in 2022, and picked up his Master of Culinary Arts at just 27.
Not bad for someone who only decided to become a chef after cooking jam roly-poly in Food Tech.
Starting at The Ritz
Spencer Metzger was born and raised in Chigwell, Essex. At 15, he called The Ritz and enquired whether they’d have “a young lad” for work experience. They said yes. He worked two weeks in the kitchen under John Williams, the head chef.
Most children would have stuck that out for a day before realising that professional kitchens are hot and stressful, and you spend 12 hours on your feet. Spencer loved it. He trained at Bournemouth & Poole College following school, after which he worked as an apprentice at The Ritz.
By 2015, he was sous chef. In 2016, he moved on to L’Enclume in Cumbria, which had two Michelin stars. While working under Simon Rogan, he learnt various techniques and regional flavours. Spencer returned to The Ritz as premier sous chef in 2017. By July 2021, he was head chef at 26 years old.
Winning the Roux Scholarship
In 2019, Spencer was awarded the Roux Scholarship. That’s the best young chef competition in the UK. He had wanted to enter for two years, but he waited until he knew he could win.
In the regional finals, the judge Angela Hartnett sampled his hogget sauce and said, ‘It’s the best sauce I’ve ever had.’ For the final, Spencer made monkfish blanquette with langoustines. His sauces were praised by Michel Roux Jr and Angela Hartnett. He won.
The prize was a stint of three months at any top restaurant in the world. Spencer picked Frantzén in Stockholm, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. He was also the first Roux Scholar ever to do a stage in Scandinavia.
Great British Menu and Other Awards
In 2022, Spencer competed on Great British Menu. The theme: “100 years of British broadcasting.” He won two courses to present at the final banquet, and he was named Champion of Champions.
Tom Kerridge, tasting Spencer’s main course, declared, “This is one of the best dishes I’ve had anywhere in the world.” That’s not just TV hyperbole. Kerridge is a Michelin-starred chef himself.
Spencer is also a 2021 Acorn Award winner of The Caterer. He was appointed a Master of Culinary Arts by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in October 2022. That is a life goal for most chefs. He achieved it at 27.
Leaving The Ritz
On August 1st, 2023, Spencer announced on Instagram that he was leaving The Ritz after 13 years. “End of an Era,” he wrote. He thanked John Williams, calling him “not only an inspiration as a chef but also a true gentleman and mentor.”
People speculated about where he’d go. Would he open his own place? Spencer had told Restaurant magazine that he absolutely wanted to open his restaurant eventually. “Everything I do is building to that moment,” he said.
Dubai and Back to London
Spencer joined Jason Atherton at Row on 45 in Dubai when it opened in 2023. The restaurant quickly won accolades, including being named Gault & Millau’s Breakthrough Restaurant of the Year.
Spencer became a proper star in Dubai’s food scene. He worked the 17-course tasting menu, showing off his skills whilst explaining dishes to guests. But that wasn’t the end goal.
In November 2024, Spencer announced Spencer Metzger new restaurant with Jason Atherton. Row on 5, located on Savile Row in London. Spencer Metzger restaurant takes guests through 15 courses across three venues. It’s all about showcasing British produce.
Spencer is now the executive chef at Row on 5. This is his chance to really show what he’s capable of outside The Ritz. The menu’s rooted in classic French cuisine, which is what Spencer trained in, but he’s picked up contemporary flourishes along the way.
Personal Life Stays Private
Spencer Metzger wife and Spencer Metzger partner aren’t publicly known. Spencer kept his personal life proper private. He’s focused on cooking, not celebrity. No social media oversharing, no reality TV other than Great British Menu, and no striving to be a household name.
That’s quite refreshing. Spencer’s worked his way to a reputation here on the strength of his cooking prowess. Roux Scholar. Great British Menu Champion. Master of Culinary Arts. Head chef at The Ritz at 26. Executive chef at Row on 5 at 30.
He’s accomplished more in 15 years than most chefs do in 40. And he has done so without compromising his principles and while refusing to pander for attention.
What Makes Him Special
The technical brilliance of Spencer’s work is evident, obviously. You don’t win the Roux Scholarship without being technically flawless. But what makes him stand out is his commitment to continued learning.
He never would have had to leave The Ritz. Cosy job, high-status kitchen, guaranteed pay cheque. Instead, he departed in 2016 to spend a year at L’Enclume. He left a second time in 2023, this time for Dubai. It’s in his nature to look for the next challenge.
John Williams apparently recognised this quality in Spencer when he was 15 years old. That’s why he brought him on for work experience and then took him on as an apprentice. Williams instructed him in the art of not just how to cook, but also how to practise genuine hospitality.
Where He Goes Next
Spencer’s 30 now. He’s the executive chef at Row on 5, which opened in late 2024. Does he still want to open his own place? Probably. He said everything he does is building towards that moment.
Row on 5 gives him the experience of running a high-end restaurant, even if it’s under Atherton’s group. That’s valuable preparation for eventually going solo.
He’s already won basically every award a young British chef can win. The only thing missing is a Michelin star with his name on it as chef patron. Given his trajectory, that’s probably coming.
The Bottom Line
Spencer Metzger is one of the most exciting chefs cooking in Britain today. 15 when he started, head chef at The Ritz by 26, awards everywhere, now executive chef of Row on 5 at 30. His career has been about that technical virtuosity and hard work.
And he’s still kept it real. No celebrity chef nonsense. No ego. Just proper respect for the craft and the people who taught him.
For a kid from Chigwell who cold-called The Ritz at 15 asking for work experience, he’s done properly well. And he’s only just getting started, really. The next 15 years should be even more interesting than the first 15.
Not bad for someone who once made jam roly-poly in Food Tech and thought, ‘Yeah, I could do this for a living.’
