Born in Lancashire, Marcus Wareing is the son of a fruit and potato merchant and first discovered his talent for cooking during a lesson at Stanley High School. 

Wareing claims he had the best preparation possible for a chef's career when he took up amateur boxing at 11.  He was not, he says, what you would call a gifted student, so he followed his brother into catering college at Southport, and suddenly his life started to make sense.

He completed a three-year City and Guilds Catering course at Southport Catering College. His restaurant career started at The Savoy when he was eighteen, and was quickly promoted to chef de partie.  Next came Le Gavroche. Here, the kitchen brigade held a few stars of its own, including one dynamic young chef called Gordon Ramsay.  Between 1991 and 1993 Marcus enhanced his expertise in classic French cooking in various international hotels and resorts including the Grand Hotel in Amsterdam under Albert Roux and Gravetye Manor in West Sussex.

Then he met up with Ramsay again at La Tante Claire, just as Ramsay resigned to open Aubergine in Chelsea. It wasn't long before Wareing was at his side once again, as sous chef.  Aubergine went on to win two Michelin stars within three years of opening. Marcus then went to work at the two Michelin-starred restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris, then in 1996 he returned to London to open L’Oranger under head chef Gordon Ramsay. In March 1999 Marcus opened Pétrus with Ramsay’s financial backing and within seven months it had won a Michelin star and five AA rosettes - the AA's ultimate accolade. Pétrus received a second star in the Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2007.  

In 2003 Marcus was voted the Cateys 'Chef of the Year' and, together with head chef Josh Emett, restored the Savoy Grill back to its former glory (it has since achieved its first Michelin star). In 2004 Marcus was voted Restaurateur of the Year at the Tatler Restaurant Awards. In 2006 Marcus competed in BBC Two's Great British Menu and won the honour of cooking the dessert course at the Queen's 80th birthday celebrations.

He has also set the world record for serving the most expensive meal; a group of investment bankers ran up a staggering £44,000 dinner bill, much of which went on a couple of particularly fine vintages of Château Pétrus.

Marcus is married and has two sons.