Atkinson was born in December 1976 in
Newcastle upon Tyne in an area north of the
St James' Park stadium. He was brought up by his mother after his parents divorced. He began working at the age of fourteen packing Christmas paper and on market stalls. At the age of sixteen, he left school with six
GCSE qualifications. He gained three
AA Rosettes, but after three years he failed to gain a
Michelin star. He decided to move with his family to the
Scilly Isles to work at the St Martin's on the Isle restaurant. It was there that he won his first Michelin star, which was covered in the national press as the reviewer needed to travel some 400 miles to visit the restaurant. Success led to a new head chef position at the White Room restaurant within
Seaham Hall in County Durham. Again, he won a Michelin star. He subsequently also began to make appearances on the BBC television show
Saturday Kitchen. heading up three restaurants at
Rockcliffe Hall in County Durham. on Newcastle upon Tyne's quayside. In 2015, less than 18 months after opening, House of Tides was awarded one Michelin star and, in 2021, it ranked fourth in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100, an annual ranking of UK restaurants. In 2022, Atkinson and his partner Abbie opened Solstice by Kenny Atkinson, a small fine dining restaurant in a venue the pair had previously operated as Violet's Café, less than half a mile from House of Tides. After operating for only 8 months, it was awarded a Michelin star in March 2023 - the first time there has been multiple Michelin star restaurants in Newcastle upon Tyne. ==References==