Douglas McMaster’s early years were shaped by two Michelin-starred French fine dining before he moved to London to work at Fergus Henderson’s ST. JOHN, the culture-shifting restaurant he creditsas the foundation of his career. He then spent two years staging in some of the world’s most influential restaurants, including The Fat Duck and Noma in Copenhagen.
In 2011, Douglas launched Wasted, a pop-up in Sydney and Melbourne that tested his zero-waste concept by serving food that would otherwise have been discarded in the name of fine dining.
In 2014, aged 26, he returned to the UK and opened Silo: the world’s first zero-waste restaurant. With produce delivered package-free, everything made from scratch, and food scraps transformed
through fermentation, Silo became an international reference point for circular gastronomy.
Douglas later expanded this work through Silo Systems, his consultancy company, applying the principles behind Silo to wider food systems and helping bring projects such as Baldío in Mexico City
to life. In 2024, he also launched Flux Fermentation Factory, a venture dedicated to Koji fermentation, flavour development and circular food innovation.
Alongside his work as a chef and founder, Douglas is also a presenter and public speaker, sharing his ideas on food systems, waste, creativity and regeneration through talks, interviews and international
stages, including TEDx.
Selected awards and recognition
● BBC Young Chef of the Year
● Britain’s Most Innovative Chef
● Hospitality Pioneer in 50 Next from the organisation behind The World’s 50 Best
Restaurants
● Recognised by The Best Chef Awards with 2 Knives — World Class
● Britain’s Most Ethical Restaurant (Silo)
● Britain’s Most Sustainable Restaurant (Silo)
● Britain’s Most Innovative Restaurant (Silo)
● Michelin Green Star (Silo)
Douglas McMaster was also named one of TIME’s Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business.
