09 February 2026
Share
Among the many winners to walk onto the stage of Dublin’s Convention Centre at The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Great Britain & Ireland 2026 was Chef Tom Earnshaw from One-MICHELIN-Starred Bohemia in St Helier, Jersey. He was the worthy winner of the MICHELIN Young Chef Award, Sponsored by La Rousse Foods, for his exceptional dishes and seamlessly running the Bohemia kitchen while still in his late 20s. Here, we explore what the Inspectors loved so much about Earnshaw’s cooking.
A New Chef at a Long-Standing Restaurant
When he took the reins at Bohemia, Earnshaw wasn’t just about to lead the kitchen but was becoming the custodian of one of Jersey’s most famous and treasured restaurants. Situated inside the tranquil Club Hotel & Spa in St Helier, Bohemia is not only Jersey’s only current MICHELIN-Star restaurant but has also held the Star for longer than any other restaurant in the island’s history, having first earned the accolade in 2005.
In taking over the kitchen, Earnshaw has shown considerable leadership and maturity at a young age, expertly marshalling his brigade to produce dishes of undoubted MICHELIN-Star quality. Perhaps most impressive is how he has put his own spin on the menus, having announced that he wanted to bring a fresh perspective and more modern approach to the cooking.
Tom Earnshaw’s Signature Style
Following their meals at Bohemia, it was clear to our Inspectors that Earnshaw has succeeded in bringing a dash of creativity and playfulness to the cooking, infusing dishes with his own personality. A highly original combination of dressed Jersey crab with Thai red curry panna cotta and kaffir lime sorbet showed the kind of dishes the chef is capable of.
Underpinning it all are the same superb ingredients and strong classical craft that have been staples of Bohemia over the years. When taking charge of a highly successful restaurant, Earnshaw has been careful not to reinvent the wheel, just to add some adornments to it. His understanding of balance, and of when to hold back, are excellent, with technical skills employed only in service of the dish.
A Word from the Inspectors
For more detail on what makes Earnshaw’s cooking so notable, we asked one of the Inspectors who made the trip to Jersey to eat at Bohemia to talk us through the highlights of their dinner.“My experience with Tom Earnshaw’s cooking at Bohemia started strongly and didn’t dip in quality throughout the evening. The finely crafted snacks and a lovely seaweed-infused sourdough bread set the tone, followed by the stand-out dish of white and brown crab meat paired with Thai flavours."
“This was followed by a main course which, like all the dishes, looked picture-perfect on the plate. Two slices of flavourful Herdwick lamb loin were topped with a punchy, merguez-style stuffing wrapped in spinach. Sitting beside them were a barbecued skewer of the pressed belly, some caramelised shallots, an anchovy dressing and a subtly spiced, Algerian-inspired salad of the lamb neck with pearl barley and buckwheat. Again, this showed off Earnshaw’s ability to express himself through his dishes.
“To round off an excellent meal were the beautifully crafted desserts, a real strength of Earnshaw’s kitchen. First was a refreshing champagne sorbet topped with strawberry granita and a few wild strawberries. Then came the Jivara chocolate with preserved cherry: a light mousse with a rich cherry centre, encased in a fine milk chocolate coating. A sharp cherry sorbet on top was the perfect counterpoint – another reminder of Earnshaw’s skill at balancing flavours.”
Related Articles:
Hero Image: Dressed Jersey crab with red Thai curry panna cotta, peanut and kaffir lime sorbet – a superb dish from Young Chef Award 2026 winner Tom Earnshaw. © Ollie Jones/Bohemia
