Prue Leith

Prue Leith is a South African-born British restaurateur, chef, broadcaster, cookery writer, novelist, and television personality.

Prue Leith is a South African-born British restaurateur, chef, broadcaster, cookery writer, novelist, and television personality. She is widely known for her role as a judge on BBC and Channel 4 cookery programmes, especially The Great British Bake Off. She also founded Leiths School of Food and Wine and has been recognised for services to food, broadcasting, and charity.

Early life and education

Prue Leith was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1940. She later studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before training at the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, experiences that shaped her career in food and hospitality.

Career in food and hospitality

Leith became a restaurateur, caterer, teacher, and food writer. She opened the restaurant Leith's in London in 1969, which earned a Michelin star. In 1975 she founded Leiths School of Food and Wine, which became a major culinary school.

Television work

Leith became familiar to television audiences through cooking programmes and was a judge on Great British Menu from 2005 to 2016. She then joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017 and remained a judge until 2025.

Public roles and honours

Beyond food media, Leith has held public and academic roles, including Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, from 2016 to 2024. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to food, broadcasting, and charity.