(Image: Ernesta Norvaisaite)
Nathan Graham is the head chef at The Voyage of Buck in Edinburgh.
Originally from Gorgie, Graham attended Forrest High School and played for Edinburgh City Football Club youth team before pursuing his culinary career at some of the city’s leading fine dining restaurants, including Purslane in Stockbridge and, more recently, as head chef at Dùthchas in Leith.
In 2025, he secured a place in the prestigious Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland for Dùthchas. He was also a Craft Guild of Chefs 2025 Graduate Awards semi-finalist.
Graham recently joined the team at award-winning cocktail bar The Voyage of Buck on William Street, leading its kitchen and the next chapter in the development of its restaurant.
Highlights from his new autumn menu include rarebit made with Scottish cheddar and Guinness; Castle Game venison with chicory, turnip fondants and fig chutney; brown butter and Scottish hake with Madeira and wild mushrooms.
This week, he takes on our chef Q&A:
Nathan Graham, head chef, The Voyage of Buck, (Image: Ernesta Norvaisaite)
When did you realise you wanted to be a chef?
I really enjoyed cooking at school, which was Forrest High School in Edinburgh.
Cooking is also in the family blood. My younger brother is also a chef, and grandad worked in the industry back in the day.
What was your first kitchen job like?
My first kitchen job was working as a KP at Purslane in Edinburgh. This is where I gained all my early experience and confidence in a commercial kitchen.
What does "good food" mean to you?
Big flavours and let the quality of the local and seasonal ingredients speak for themselves.
Can you share a memory of your worst kitchen disaster?
Tripping over a mop bucket and falling downstairs after service one night. I’ll not make that mistake again.
Where is your favourite place to eat out?
I’m from Gorgie in Edinburgh, so my favourite neighbourhood place to eat out with my family is Dine Murrayfield.
What's the best thing you've cooked recently?
We’ve just launched our new autumn menu at The Voyage of Buck. My two standout dishes are the venison with chicory, turnip fondants and fig chutney; and the rarebit made with Scottish cheddar, Guinness, and house soda bread.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about working in a professional kitchen?
A professional kitchen doesn’t need to be a loud and aggressive environment. For me, it’s where you have the freedom to express your own creativity.
In the Voyage of Buck kitchen, we like to play our own style of music, including and a bit of trap and dance music.
If you weren't a chef, what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I used to play for the Edinburgh City Football Club youth team and was captain of my school team at Forrest High School, so probably a professional footballer.
Read more:Is there one ingredient or kitchen tool you think everyone should have at home?
Bonito flakes or Japanese Katsuobushi. It’s dried fish flakes, which adds a nice umami flavour to soups and sauces.
What's been the standout highlight of your career so far?
A standout career highlight for me so far was getting in the Michelin Guide as head chef at Dùthchas restaurant in Leith, Edinburgh, at the age of just 25. I was also a Craft Guild of Chefs Craft Guild of Chefs 2025 Graduate Awards semi-finalist.