Jad Youssef Author Event • Lebnani: A journey through family, food & the flavour of Lebanon

Jad Youssef is chef patron of the award-winning Lebnani in Reigate, Surrey which Jay Rayner highly praised in The Observer: ‘one taste of its gloriously zingy Lebanese flavours and you know you’re in the right place.’

Jad was born in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, the youngest of six siblings. He learnt to cook in his mother Khadija’s kitchen and in his father’s pastry shop before training at the Ecole Hoteliere in Beirut. After early work in local hotels and restaurants, he moved to Oslo in 2000 as Head Chef at Jeppe Restaurant, later relocating to London to lead the kitchen at Fakhreldine in Piccadilly and serve as Executive Chef at the Levant Group.

In 2009, Youssef founded Yalla Yalla in Soho, one of London’s first Lebanese street food restaurants, expanding to Fitzrovia and Shoreditch in the following years. The restaurant received wide critical attention and achieved a cult following. His signature dish, Sawda Djej (chicken livers with pomegranate molasses), developed an equally devoted following and was named one of Time Out London's "100 Best Dishes."

After time in Hong Kong, Youssef and his wife Aga returned to the UK to open Lebnani in Reigate, Surrey, in 2020. The restaurant was named Best Restaurant in Surrey by Muddy Stilettos in 2024, awarded an AA Rosette, and was the recipient of the Be Inclusive Hospitality Middle Eastern Food Award in 2025. Jad has also appeared at Meatopia, Taste of London, and Taste of Hong Kong, served as a judge on Celebrity MasterChef UK, appeared on BBC's MasterChef, and worked with Miele among many others.

His work has been featured in The Times, The Observer, Financial Times, The Guardian, and numerous other publications.

Lebnani - In Lebnani, celebrated chef Jad Youssef invites readers to experience the warmth, generosity and soul of Lebanese cooking through recipes passed down through generations of his family. In his debut book, Jad returns to the dishes and memories that shaped his life in Beirut and beyond, celebrating Lebanese food as it is truly lived and eaten.

Featuring 84 authentic recipes from his family’s kitchen in Lebanon and his award-winning restaurant Lebnani in Surrey, the book reveals secret spice blends, time-honoured techniques and beloved family dishes that bring people together around the table.

Chapters echo the rhythm of daily life - Lebanese Mornings, Mezza at Home, Tabkha (everyday meals), Mashawi (grills), Sandwiche (street wraps), Helweyet (sweets) and Namlieh (the pantry) - reflecting the meals and moments that shape Lebanese identity. Family stories are woven throughout, tracing how food sustained Lebanese families through conflict, change and celebration.

From gathering wild za’atar to mornings spent collecting trays of freshly baked mana’eesh, Jad’s memories root Lebanese cuisine in gratitude, connection and resilience. With evocative imagery and heartfelt storytelling, Lebnani offers a rich portrait of a culture where food, memory and family life are deeply intertwined.