Once known as l’enfant terrible of the culinary world, Marco Pierre White has evolved into something altogether more disarming. At 64, the legendary chef now embraces a gentler form of indulgence, turning his attention from haute cuisine to the art of the cocktail. For Valentine’s Day, he offers two refined creations that balance romance with restraint—an echo of the discipline that shaped his extraordinary career.
Rose Petal Martini
Serves 1
50ml MR. WHITE’S GIN
25ml dry vermouth
1 tsp rose syrup
Ice cubes
Edible rose petals, to garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, vermouth, and syrup. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with edible rose petals, fresh or dried.
Raspberry French Kiss
Serves 2
30ml MR. WHITE’S GIN
30ml raspberry liqueur
Around 250ml chilled Champagne or prosecco
Ice cubes
Fresh or frozen raspberries
Add the gin and raspberry liqueur to a shaker with ice and shake well. Place two to three raspberries in each Champagne flute. Strain the mixture into the glasses and slowly top with Champagne or prosecco.
White developed Mr. White’s London Dry Gin in collaboration with master distiller Chris Sadler. The spirit reflects the same philosophy that defined his cooking: remove excess, refine relentlessly, and allow the essential to speak.
Born in Leeds, the son of a chef, White became the youngest and first British chef to earn three Michelin stars in 1995. His early training included Le Gavroche under Albert and Michel Roux, followed by formative years with Pierre Koffmann, Raymond Blanc, and Nico Ladenis. In 1987, he opened Harvey’s in Wandsworth Common, where protégés such as Gordon Ramsay emerged. Later, at The Restaurant Marco Pierre White in London, he secured his place in culinary history.
Today, that pursuit of precision continues in his gin. Distilled in small batches using traditional copper pot stills, the spirit blends Tuscan juniper with fresh Greek lemon, Spanish orange, and Provence lavender. The result is a London Dry with a subtle Mediterranean accent—confident, elegant, and quietly complex.
For White, the ritual matters as much as the recipe. A cocktail should be composed, not merely mixed. And on Valentine’s Day, he suggests, simplicity is often the most seductive gesture of all.
