Julie Lin
Julie Lin is a Scottish–Malaysian chef whose work sits at the intersection of Southeast Asian heritage and modern Scottish food culture. Raised in Scotland with strong ties to her Malaysian roots, her cooking is driven by bold flavours, cultural identity and lived experience.
Julie has her own travel and food series, Julie’s World Ultimate Adventures on BBC World Service and appears regularly on Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch and BBC Morning Live. She has also featured on The Hairy Bikers Go Local, Countryfile and BBC Food Fest, following her quarter-finalist run on MasterChef (BBC One) in 2014.
Her work has received wide recognition. She was a finalist for Ayala SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year in 2022, named a Great British Chefs One to Watch in 2023, and won Food Influencer of the Year at the Golden Chopsticks Awards in 2024. In 2025, her restaurant GaGa was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Julie has held cooking classes, residencies and events internationally, cooking across the UK and abroad, alongside her work in restaurants, television and publishing.
She is an established food writer, contributing to Condé Nast Traveller, Waitrose, Substack and other national publications. Her debut cookbook, Sama Sama: Comfort Food from My Mixed Malaysian Kitchen (2025), became a bestselling, award-winning title.
Alongside broadcast and publishing, Julie is a content creator and brand collaborator, producing recipes and campaigns for The Guardian, The Observer, BBC Food, Courier Magazine and Vice, and working with brands across food, travel and hospitality, including presenting a documentary for Fettercairn.