Not just a chef. A movement.
A personal story built on resilience, identity, professional kitchens and breaking barriers.
Deaf. Proud. Unapologetic. isn’t just a slogan. It’s a statement.
A belief that disability should never define ambition.
Through food, television and live experiences, Punk Chef challenges perceptions, creates opportunities and champions Deaf representation.
Scott Garthwaite, known as Punk Chef, is a professional chef, television presenter, creator and Deaf advocate whose career has taken him from professional and Michelin-starred kitchens to television, international competitions and live food stages around the world.
Through Punk Chef, Scott brings together his passion for food, British Sign Language and a bold visual identity to challenge perceptions of what a Deaf chef can achieve. His work has appeared across BBC and Channel 4, while his journey has taken him from the professional kitchen to international food experiences and entrepreneurship.
At the heart of everything is a simple purpose: to make Deaf talent visible, create opportunities and inspire the next generation to believe there is a place for them in the food industry.
The kitchens, competitions, screens, stages and moments that shaped Punk Chef.
Scott began his professional culinary journey in 2008, enrolling at Newcastle College to study for an Honours degree in Professional Culinary Arts, delivered in partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University.
Scott began his professional culinary journey in 2008, combining his studies in Professional Culinary Arts with experience at Rockliffe Hall, developing his skills within a high-end professional kitchen environment.
Punk Chef made his television debut in 2013, working with Flashing Lights Media to create the original Punk Chef cookery programme for Lumo TV — beginning a television presenting journey that would continue for more than a decade.
Scott represented the UK at the World Deaf Chef Competition in Copenhagen, Denmark, finishing second and earning international recognition for his culinary skills.
After finishing second at the International Deaf Chef competition in Copenhagen, Scott was invited to appear on the BBC See Hear Christmas Special, where he joined presenter Clive Mason and demonstrated how to prepare and cook a Christmas turkey.
Scott worked as Chef de Partie at Wynyard Hall, taking responsibility for the meat and fish section and developing his skills in a demanding professional kitchen environment.
Scott joined Kurt Ramborger, Rinkoo Barpaga and Dack Virnig on a three-week journey across 15 European countries, travelling by RV to create cooking videos and social media content as part of a sponsorship collaboration with Route 66
Scott travelled across Japan for two weeks, delivering live cooking demonstrations and workshops for the Japanese Deaf community in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima, touring alongside Rinkoo Barpaga and hosted by Satoshi Ezoe.
Six years after the original Punk Chef series, Scott returned to television in 2019 with Punk Chef on the Road, produced by Hungry Gap Productions for Lumo TV — taking food, travel and Deaf culture beyond the kitchen and out on the road.
During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, Scott worked with Cambridge Deaf Association to launch Sunday Kitchen Live — a weekly one-hour livestream combining live cooking, conversation and special guests for the Deaf community.
Scott joined the kitchen team at Hambleton Hall in 2021, developing his craft within one of Britain’s most established Michelin-starred restaurants and experiencing the precision, discipline and standards of Michelin-level cooking.
Scott was appointed as a member of the UK Government’s BSL Advisory Board, contributing his lived and professional experience to discussions around the implementation and future of British Sign Language.
Punk Chef launched food trucks at Spitalfields Market and Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, bringing the brand directly to the public with bold food, strong identity and Punk Chef attitude.
Scott appeared on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, bringing Punk Chef’s food, personality and Deaf representation to a mainstream national television audience.
Punk Chef became a Street Food Championship finalist, putting his street-food concept and cooking up against some of the country’s leading street-food talent.
Beyond the kitchen and television, Scott has used his Punk Chef platform to support charitable and community organisations, including the Carr Fenton Foundation, Doncaster Trust and DeafKidz International.
In 2024, the Punk Chef food-truck journey in London came to an end. After building the concept from the ground up, Scott stepped away from the trucks — closing one of the most ambitious chapters of Punk Chef.
Punk Chef collaborated with Tesco as part of its Now We’re Cooking campaign, helping bring accessible recipe content to Deaf audiences through British Sign Language and visual cooking.
THE STORY ISN’T OVER.
From television and documentaries to interviews and digital media, Punk Chef brings professional cookery, storytelling and Deaf representation to audiences on and off screen.
BBC · CHANNEL 4 · DOCUMENTARY · DIGITAL · INTERVIEWS
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Live cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, keynote appearances and community events delivered with professional skill, storytelling and humour.
UK · EUROPE · JAPAN · UNITED STATES
Food. Identity. Resilience. A story told differently.
From Hartlepool to Japan — food, television, festivals and Deaf culture without borders.
Food is the language.
Inclusion is the message.
From Hartlepool, Punk Chef built a journey through professional kitchens, television, live stages and Deaf advocacy.
Bring Punk Chef’s energy, authenticity and unique perspective to your next stage, screen, school or campaign.
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