Simon Shaw
Chef Patron / Creative Director
Simon is one of the North’s most highly respected restaurateurs, with over 35 years of experience, most notably as Chef Patron and Creative Director of El Gato Negro.
Originally from Yorkshire, Simon rapidly worked his way through the ranks at some of the county’s finest establishments before becoming the first Head Chef at Harvey Nichols’ restaurant in Leeds. After a stellar stint there he was seconded to their London operations; first heading up the kitchens at Prism, the company’s prestigious City of London restaurant, before promoted to the flagship Knightsbridge store to serve as Executive Head Chef. It was in this role Simon visited Catalonia and the Basque Country for the first time, falling in love with the diversity and excitement of modern Spanish cuisine during subsequent trips.
Inspired by this, in 2005 Simon returned to Yorkshire to open his own restaurant, El Gato Negro, in the Pennine village of Ripponden. Its reach and reputation grew rapidly, gaining awards and accolades. These included annual listings in the Good Food Guide; winning ‘Best local Spanish restaurant’ on Gordon Ramsay’s F Word; glowing review from critics such as the Observer’s Jay Rayner; Hardens called it “best tapas in the north”; and it was awarded a prestigious Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide for its last three years in Yorkshire.
In 2014 Simon announced that, following a decade of continued success in Ripponden, ambitions to bring El Gato Negro to a wider audience had resulted in plans to relocate to larger premises in Manchester City Centre.
El Gato Negro is a Simon Shaw restaurant. The award-winning tapas menu combines modern and traditional flavours and techniques, offering seasonally-influenced small plates using quality Spanish and locally-sourced ingredients.
