tommy banks
spinning plates
A chef's battle to keep his restaurant empire (and his Michelin stars)
SEASON 1
6 episodes
Docu-style
michelin star
restaurants & pubs
EXECUTIVE chef
12 months FILMING TOMMY BANKS
And with Tommy constantly tearing up and down the country between Oldstead, York, London and the North East, every episode becomes a high-energy race across the places that fuel his food, his business and his battles.
who will watch it?
It appeals to food lovers, home cooks, countryside enthusiasts and younger viewers drawn to entrepreneurial stories and modern hustle. With its blend of family, ambition and relatable struggle set against visually rich environments, the series connects with both mainstream audiences and premium factual viewers.
BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Through product placement, integrated storytelling, ambassador roles and bespoke content creation, brands gain visibility within a rich, emotionally resonant environment that audiences trust and engage with.
Frequently asked questions
Tommy Banks: Spinning Plates is a premium, cinematic documentary series capturing one of Britain’s most high-profile Michelin-starred chefs at a defining moment — as ambition, economic pressure, and personal reckoning collide.
Over one pivotal year, we follow Tommy as he navigates a relentless balancing act between operational demands, culinary ambition, and deeply personal stakes, walking a fine line between brilliance and burnout.Filming since August 2025, the series has secured rare and often unprecedented access to elite culinary and sporting institutions.
From Michelin kitchens to Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham, Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Stadium of Light and Silverstone during the British Grand Prix, Tommy’s operation extends far beyond a traditional restaurant environment. These globally recognised stages are unforgiving, where expectations are exacting and performance must be flawless.
At the heart of the season lies the pursuit of another Michelin star. The build-up, doubt and quiet hope culminate in Dublin at the Michelin Awards, where tension — played against expectation — forms a powerful narrative spine.
The stakes are never abstract. A new pub venture overshoots its £2M budget while an £82,000 Christmas market investment spirals into logistical chaos — thirty pigs stranded in ankle-deep mud as simultaneous obligations unfold at Hampton Court Palace. Sales figures fluctuate in real time, determining success or failure.
The full farm-to-table philosophy is explored at its most visceral: six hours of deer stalking in winter darkness to secure a single animal, then skinning, butchering and transforming it into a Michelin-level dish. Trusted suppliers, including award-winning cheesemongers, reveal the fragile ecosystem underpinning elite dining.
Beyond operations, a deeply personal story unfolds. Following a previous mental health crisis that resulted in hospitalisation, Tommy attempts to compete in Hyrox, one of the world’s fastest-growing endurance sports, targeting an elite one-hour-five-minute time.
The physical challenge mirrors the psychological one, exploring resilience, fatherhood, masculinity and legacy. He rides an emotional rollercoaster, quite literally spinning plates, as he races across the country — from rain-lashed North Yorkshire fields to Michelin-starred dining rooms, from chaotic restaurant service to stadiums roaring at Silverstone, Lord’s, Twickenham and the Stadium of Light.
Shot with cinematic precision and run-and-gun immediacy, Spinning Plates combines scale with intimacy.
From deer stalking at dawn to stadium catering and private moments of doubt, it is not simply a culinary series — it is a gripping portrait of leadership, genius and resilience under relentless pressure, capturing the cultural and economic zeitgeist of British hospitality at a defining moment.
Stylistically, the show combines the raw, high-intensity realism of The Bear with the hybrid documentary storytelling approach of Being Gordon Ramsay and the immersive seasonal tension engine of Clarkson's Farm, all while maintaining its own voice and identity.
Spinning Plates arrives at a pivotal moment for UK hospitality — a sector facing some of the most intense pressures in its modern history. Restaurant and pub closures, rising operating costs, labour shortages, and sustained inflation have become headline news, reshaping high streets and communities across Britain.
In just the first half of 2025, an average of two hospitality venues closed each day, shrinking the sector to more than 14% below its pre-pandemic size. Between April and December 2025, over 100,000 people lost their jobs, with closures accelerating to four hospitality businesses per day by the final quarter of the year.
Independent restaurants and pubs continue to struggle, with hundreds entering insolvency in recent years, and industry forecasts warn that without meaningful reform to business rates, thousands more venues could close in 2026.
These challenges are not abstract statistics — they are daily realities for operators balancing soaring labour costs, increased National Insurance contributions, minimum wage rises, and tightening margins. For audiences, this translates into a broader national conversation about economic survival, community identity, and the cultural importance of food and gathering spaces. Hospitality has always been more than commerce; it is deeply woven into British social life.
At the same time, there is a proven global appetite for high-stakes, character-driven storytelling set within real professional environments. Series such as The Bear, Clarkson’s Farm, and Being Gordon Ramsay have demonstrated that viewers are drawn to raw, emotionally honest narratives about ambition under pressure. Spinning Plates taps directly into this demand, combining cinematic access with real economic relevance.
Tommy’s journey — leading over 150 staff, managing complex operations, and pursuing culinary excellence in an unforgiving climate — mirrors the experience of thousands across the sector. This is not simply a culinary series; it captures the cultural and economic zeitgeist of British hospitality at a defining moment, offering urgency, authenticity, and powerful audience resonance.
Spinning Plates is produced by Scott and Sid Studios and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Emma Sharp.
Spinning Plates is filmed in 4k and 6k RAW using Sony FX3, Red Komodo-X, Go-Pro's and DJI Mavic Pro 4, the narrative is told through a combination of talking heads and fly on the wall Docu-style footage.
The TV series started filming in September 2025 and spans 12 months of Tommy's life.
We expect the series to be completed by August 2026.
International territories available.
Core demographic:
25–54, global, premium content consumers
Secondary demographic:
Food, business, sports, lifestyle crossover
SVOD / Streaming Platforms:
Appeals to audiences seeking high-production-value, bingeable factual entertainment.
Premium Factual / Broadcaster Primetime:
Fits high-quality, character-led documentary slots on linear broadcast, offering both engagement and marketing potential.