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Tom Kerridge has revealed he's contemplated a change of career, following a recent meeting with a Labour MP to discuss business rates. The 52-year-old chef from Gloucestershire, who runs four gastropubs across England, held talks with Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, regarding his worries about the hospitality sector.

The Government subsequently announced last week that in 2026-27, qualifying pubs and live music venues will receive a 15 per cent business rates relief, in addition to the support revealed at Budget 2025. Their bills will then remain frozen in real terms for a further two years.

After the announcement, Tom said: "I feel positive about the fact I now have a line of communication into Government," although he admitted being "perplexed" by the lack of grasp regarding expenses.

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The chef outlined that numerous businesses are now running at "110 per cent costs", which means they require a 10 per cent return on revenue just to balance the books.

"So they are all being priced out of business," he told The Observer.

Illustrating the effect on one of his own establishments, Tom said rates at The Butcher's Tap in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, have jumped from £50,000 to £125,000.

While he's using his platform to help drive further change however, the father-of-one stressed he has no plans to abandon the kitchen for a career in politics.

"I have thought about it, but I'm not interested in the small stuff," he revealed.

"The more I've been involved with politics, I realise how thankless it is, so I have huge respect for politicians.

"But there is no comparison with being a cook, where I can just follow my own creative passion."

That said, he conceded he might consider an advisory position, if the Government were to create a dedicated ministry focused on the hospitality sector.

For the time being, Tom juggles running his businesses, television commitments, cooking, activism and his family responsibilities.

"In the early days, I thought about food all the time, but now I have so many hats - food is just one of them," he explained. "If I had to choose, though, I would rather be in the kitchen at The Hand, talking about new dishes and what we could change."

Prior to achieving fame as a chef, Tom pursued a completely different career. Speaking previously on Grace Dent's Comfort Eating podcast, he discussed his relatively unknown acting background after his name was seen on IMDb.

His screen debut came as a teenager during the 1990s in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, followed by parts in The Tomorrow People, Chris Cross, After Henry, and ITV's drama London's Burning, where he was billed as 'Thug one'.

"I think I was typecast from an early age," he admitted. "You'd get a borstal boy in Miss Marple, a bully - and 'Thug one' was my official title in London's Burning."

At 18, Tom made the decision to enrol in culinary school and subsequently worked in some of Britain's finest hotels and restaurants.

In 2005, he transitioned into the gastropub sector, launching The Hand and Flowers in Marlow.

The establishment received its first Michelin star in 2006 and secured a second in 2012, becoming the only pub in the UK to hold two Michelin stars.