Not actually a vegetarian himself, Simon Rimmer took over vegetarian restaurant, Greens in Manchester, in 1990, armed with only two cookery books and no idea how to cook. Two years later, The Guardian had described Greens as one of the most exciting new restaurants in UK, and it has gone on to win several awards, including The Big Issue's 'Restaurant of the Year'.

Simon began a TV career began with hosting shows such as Livetime and Battle of the Chefs. He has gone on to make many guest appearances on shows, including regularly presenting for Good Food Channel's Great Food Live. He competed against Marcus Wareing in the regional heats of Great British Menu, a BBC televised competition to create a 4 course meal for Her Majesty the Queen to celebrate her 80th birthday.

Simon believes chefs should excite people about cooking, and that it should be "sociable, straightforward and sparkling". The success of his stylish but friendly Greens certainly seems testament to that: tune in to find out his tricks!

Books
The Accidental Vegetarian: Delicious Food without Meat, Mitchell Beazley, Mar 2010
Rebel Cook: Breaking the Rules for Brilliant Food, Cassell Illustrated, 2006
The Seasoned Vegetarian, Mitchell Beazley, Feb 2009