Chef Dom Taylor, the winner of Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef and founder of The Good Front Room restaurant, has sadly passed away.

The news was confirmed by Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, who paid tribute to the chef, describing him as “warm, kind, funny and stylish” while highlighting the impact he had on the hospitality industry.

She said: “He was also an incredibly talented chef who championed the cuisines of his heritage, celebrating his Jamaican and St Lucian culture through food. He spent his entire career working in hospitality as a very passionate chef. The hospitality sector has lost someone truly special.”

Born to a Jamaican mother and Saint Lucian father, Dom Taylor built his career around celebrating the flavours and traditions of his heritage.

He first began cooking at Lewisham College in London, where he trained in classical French cuisine, before continuing his studies at Thames Valley University. He later spent a year working in South Carolina in the US before returning to London, where he took on roles as head chef at the Belgraves hotel in Belgravia and the Courthouse hotel in Shoreditch.

Throughout his career, Taylor became known for pushing Caribbean cuisine into new spaces, combining traditional flavours with fine dining techniques.

In a 2023 interview with The Caterer, he revealed that he was initially hesitant about pursuing Caribbean food professionally, explaining that he felt “no one was really steering the ship” within the cuisine.

Before appearing on television, Taylor ran his own private chef business, Chef Dom Taylor Kitchen, specialising in Caribbean cuisine, while also hosting a restaurant residency at Fourteen87 in Catford, south-east London.

His breakthrough came in 2023 when he competed on Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef, where he impressed judges with his vision for Caribbean fine dining and ultimately won the competition.

Following his victory, Taylor launched The Good Front Room, a 10-month residency at The Langham, London, which was widely recognised as one of the first Caribbean restaurants to open inside a luxury London hotel.

Through his cooking, Taylor helped showcase Jamaican and Saint Lucian culture to wider audiences, proving that Caribbean cuisine belonged on the biggest culinary stages.

His legacy will live on through the chefs he inspired, the culture he celebrated, and the food that allowed people to experience his heritage through every dish.

‍