Meet the Chef: Holly Tyldsley
September 22, 2026
For Chef Holly Tyldsley, food has always been an act of care. Her earliest memories are of standing beside her grandma Betty in the kitchen, learning how to make Yorkshire puddings and absorbing a simple truth: the best way to look after the people you love is through food. That belief has shaped Holly’s entire journey.
Chef life wasn’t always the plan for Holly. At 19, she was studying graphic design at university, searching for purpose and wondering how her work could truly impact people. She found her answer in the kitchen. Cooking offered something art couldn’t at the time: the chance to make someone’s day in a quiet, meaningful way. That realisation set her on the path she’s walking today.
Most of Holly’s career has been spent with Young’s Pubs, a place she credits with shaping her identity as a chef. Naturally introverted, she found a team that valued her quirks and saw strength in them. She began with a Level 2 Commis Chef qualification and flourished through Young’s apprenticeship programme, eventually going on to run and deliver that same programme herself, an experience she describes as one of the most rewarding of her career.
For Holly, the best part of kitchen life is the brigade. The long hours and hard graft are balanced by a sense of team and community that she says is unmatched anywhere else. Her cooking style reflects that same grounded honesty: elevated classical British, driven by seasonality and respect for ingredients.
That ethos shines in the dish she created for us: Halibut with a Sauce Vierge. Fresh, bright and ingredient‑led, the recipe balances delicate halibut with a herby sauce vierge, lifted by the natural flavour of our Mellow Yellow cold‑pressed rapeseed oil. For Holly, Mellow Yellow is an ingredient that feels authentic and true to itself: a product made with passion, something she saw first hand after meeting Duncan and our team at the farm last year.
Ask Holly to describe herself and she’ll say passionate, wholesome and driven. Her advice for young chefs is clear: “believe in your ability. Cheffing is tough, rewarding and full of moments that test your confidence. Trust yourself, trust your team, and remember (especially as a woman in a male‑driven industry) you have every right to be there. Go for it.”
