We work with the brightest lights of the culinary scene, our Food Heroes, to bring you innovative, delicious menus and exclusive foodie experiences. You can also spend time with our Food Heroes on Iona. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with the masters, perhaps sitting down for a glass of wine in The Glass House with Olly. Our Food Heroes will be joining Iona’s summer holidays to Norway where Marco will host interactive shows.

You can enjoy a taste for discovery– be inspired by their skills at interactive cookery shows, masterclasses, private hosted dinners, and more; a taste for the exquisite at our Food Heroes’ on-board dining venues; and a taste for the authentic– the chance to get up close and personal with the best in the business, both on board and on a carefully crafted Food Heroes shore experience.

Known the world over, Marco Pierre White has pushed the boundaries of cuisine for over 30 years. In the 1990s he took the restaurant scene by storm, becoming the youngest ever chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. Today, Marco’s passion for serving up superb dishes continues with P&O Cruises. Marco’s innovative Celebration Night menus are a treat for all and his regular appearances on Britannia and new for 2020 – Iona, allow you to meet the man himself. On Iona, he will host interactive cooking shows as well as Q&A sessions, serving up answers to all of your culinary qualms. As the patron of The Cookery Club, Marco hosts masterclasses and dinners when on board Britannia, bringing his expertise to the table. 

The irrepressible, award-winning wine expert and passionate foodie, Olly Smith heads up The Glass House restaurant and bar with P&O Cruises. You might recognise him as the regular wine expert on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. In The Glass House, he brings the world of wine to you – varieties from all four corners of the globe, by the glass, by the bottle, and if you fancy, by a plate of fabulous food. There are also helpful suggestions in the menu on how best to match your chosen wine with the food you order. And you’ll find The Glass House is now available on Iona, too! You can even join Olly on an authentic foodie experience ashore when travelling on Iona.

Originally from Cáceres, Spain, José grew up on a farm being inspired by the scents emanating from his mother and grandmother’s kitchens. His glittering career has seen him work in some of the finest Spanish restaurants in Madrid and London, including Eyre Brothers and Brindisa. He now owns three successful restaurants in London, with a fourth gastropub in Surrey. He is a regular on cookery programmes, the food festival scene and has written five cook books.

Our Local Food Hero, Kjartan Skjelde, is an award-winning chef who has opened several restaurants in his hometown of Stavanger. A household name in his country, he has been a judge on MasterChef Norway and has written four foodie books including The Hungry Family Cookbook.

He places his focus on produce and provenance, good ingredients and cooking from scratch. He uses seasonal produce, making the most of the wilds of Norway and he is keen to bring Nordic fine dining to the world stage. He is creating a bespoke six-course taster menu exclusively for The Epicurean.

Shivi, who grew up in Trinidad before moving to New York and Leicestershire, now lives in London. She’s written two cookbooks and is resident chef on ITV’s Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best.

With her dishes for Arvia, Shivi will bring the bold flavours, colourful ingredients and joyful style of Caribbean food to new audiences, while adding personal touches that reflect her own journey.