Thomasina Miers
ChefRestaurateur
WriterUnited Kingdom
Thomasina Miers is a British chef, restaurateur and writer who won MasterChef in 2005 and went on to co-found the Mexican-inspired restaurant group Wahaca. She has written several cookbooks, contributes to The Guardian, and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the food industry. [3][4]
Career and work
Miers won MasterChef in 2005 and later worked with chef Skye Gyngell at Petersham Nurseries. In 2007, she co-founded Wahaca with Mark Selby, opening the first restaurant in Covent Garden. [4][3][5]
Alongside her restaurant work, Miers has written several cookbooks and a regular food column for The Guardian. She has also been involved with Chefs in Schools and was appointed OBE in 2019 for services to the food industry. [3]
What has been publicly discussed
- Miers has publicly discussed being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her twenties. [1]
- Miers has described experiencing depression in her twenties, when she struggled to stay in jobs and was trying to find work that felt meaningful to her. She has said that for years she believed there was something fundamentally flawed about her character. [2]
- She has also spoken about experiencing shame around her bipolar diagnosis and a longer process of moving away from seeing herself as “broken.” [1]
- Miers has described cooking as a grounding, creative and restorative practice that helps her feel more connected to herself. She has also highlighted agency, friendship, movement and time in nature as important parts of staying mentally well. [1]
- Miers has welcomed greater openness about mental health and argued for stronger investment in mental-health services. She has said that when people cannot access adequate support, the consequences can affect both their lives and their ability to participate fully in work and society. [2]
“I believed there was something fundamentally flawed about my character for years.”
— Thomasina Miers [2]
Sources and other resourcesExpand to view the sources used in this profile and resources to learn more.
Sources used for this profile
The following sources contain information that supports the claims made on this page.
Therapy Works“Thomasina Miers on Cooking, ADHD and Coming Home to Yourself” Miers discusses her bipolar diagnosis, shame, self-acceptance and practices that support her wellbeing.
Psychologies“Thomasina Miers on good food, happiness and dealing with fear” Interview covering depression, difficulty finding direction and her views on mental-health support.
Hachette UKThomasina Miers Professional biography covering MasterChef, Wahaca, writing, Chefs in Schools and her OBE.
View all 5 sources
WahacaThe Wahaca Story Official history of the restaurant group and its founding.
Ballymaloe Cookery SchoolThomasina Miers Alumni biography covering her culinary training and early career.
Learn more
Recommended books and other resources about Thomasina Miers and their experiences.
- “Thomasina Miers on how food ultimately became her medicine”Hurt to Healing
Interview about mental health, food and the role cooking came to play in her life.
- “With Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca”Table Talk
Conversation about food, Mexico, Wahaca and her career.
- Mexican TableThomasina Miers
Miers’s cookbook built around staple ingredients of Mexican cooking.