Chef Brian Danclair Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Children, Parents, Nationality, Ethnicity, Great British Menu

Brian Danclair Biography – Brian Danclair Wiki

Brian Danclair is a Trinidadian restaurateur and chef. He is the founder of Danclair’s Kitchen and Fish, Wings & Tings. He appeared on BBC’s Great British Menu in 2023.

Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Brian got his passion for cooking from his grandparents who raised him.

“I was born in Trinidad and Tobago and brought up by my grandparents, Valentina and Carlton Cabellero,” Brian Danclair told Brixton Blog. “Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, my pastime was gathering with family and friends and cooking. I loved cooking – by the beaches, by the rivers. Catch crabs, river crabs, and curry them. Hunting wild animals, including deer.”

Having left Trinidad at the age of 19, Brian managed to travel and gain experience working with, and for, a myriad of chefs in Washington D.C.

“When I was in Washington DC in school, I started working in a crepes restaurant for a Jewish guy and his French wife,” Danclair said. “They really appreciated me to the point that I was actually babysitting their kids when they went away. I worked with them for a year in the crepes restaurant and was given a lot of responsibility. I knew that I had a natural knack for it. So that was my first food job – in Washington DC at 20 years old.”

“Then I started working in another restaurant for a couple called Jimmy and Sharon Banks. They had the first Caribbean restaurant – that was probably the best Caribbean restaurant – in Washington DC. They were good to me – and I was good to them. I worked hard for them and I learnt a lot. It opened up my eyes about restaurants.

“Then I made friends with a guy called Yannick Can who was like one of the Michelin star chefs in Washington DC. He saw me cooking, and he said: ‘Listen, Don’t waste your time come and work with me’. When I worked with him, he had a restaurant called Bistro Provence and that opened up my eyes and my love of Provençal cuisine. This is unbelievable food. He had an all-star team. People coming in from Italy, France and Israel.”

In 2000, Brian’s journey led to him to London, where he began working at the Ritz and the Connaught, before opening up his own catering business cooking for prime ministers and presidents of the Caribbean.

Danclair opened Fish, Wings and Tings in 2012 – his Caribbean restaurant offering an array of curries and jerk foods, in the heart of Brixton.

Following the success of his first restaurant, Brian went on to open Danclair’s Kitchen in August 2021 – a more refined, Caribbean tapas style place.

Brian Danclair Age

He was born Brian Anthony Danclair in August 1969 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Brian Danclair Family

Brian Danclair is married to his Venezuelan wife, Ira Contreras. They have two children – son Daniel and daughter Hannah.

Danclair’s grandmother, Valentina, passed away at just over 100 years old and his grandfather, Carlton Cabellero, is still alive in Trinidad – Brian isn’t sure of his age “as he doesn’t say!”

“My grandma taught me that food brings people together, it can make a community. She was always cooking, and her house was always full, of people, of love, of good food.”

Brian Danclair Great British Menu

Brian Danclair appeared on series 18 (2023) of BBC’s Great British Menu. In the GBM competition, he wants to draw upon his fine dining skills to elevate his food, taking inspiration from Pingu and The Clangers in his menu.

He is competing against Robbie Lorraine, Chef Patron at Only Food and Courses, Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya, Chef Patron at Sarap, and Avinash ‘Avi’ Shashidhara, Head Chef at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai, in the London and South East heat of the competition.

Brian Danclair Nationality

Danclair is of Trinidadian nationality.

Brian Danclair Ethnicity

Danclair is of Caribbean ethnicity.

Brian Danclair Instagram

Brian Danclair’s Instagram handle is @danclairskitchen.