16/05/2025
Just One Dish: ’s ricotta dumplings
Merlin Labron-Johnson is living proof that it’s not the end of the world if school isn’t your forte. It’s hard to imagine that this highly respected chef was once a very naughty schoolboy. But it was for this reason that he discovered a love for cooking. After bouncing from school to school, he eventually found his feet in a small alternative school in his home county of Devon. When his family couldn’t afford the school meals, Merlin offered up his services.
“I used to help our school cook prepare lunches in exchange for being able to eat for free,” he says. He started off peeling potatoes and washing pots but by the end of his school career he was being trusted to cook for all the children.
After a few years of opening various successful restaurants around London, he headed back to Devon. It was there that was born.
Watch how the world renowned chef makes his favourite dish 🎥
