What was your first industry job?
I started with an apprenticeship at a catering company at 16 instead of going to college.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d likely be a butcher or a ranger.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Chef Num Samauy. I had the pleasure of working with him and was blown away by his dedication to expanding people’s understanding of Isaan food and challenging the norms of Thai cuisine while preserving its historical roots, but also his interest in modernist techniques
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
I can’t stand music or radio during service and it upsets me when ingredients aren’t stored in their smallest possible containers.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
A customer once complained that raw beef laab was ‘too rare’.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence
It’s about using traditional techniques and British produce to create dishes that celebrate underutilised ingredients, challenge expectations, and honour the food’s authentic history — all to be shared around the table.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
“Maybe the chef should spend less time on his hair and more time cooking the dishes”- stung pretty bad!
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry
Learn everything you can and work on each aspect of the kitchen until it becomes normal to you. Travel and work in kitchens while exploring new places, communicate effectively and own up to your mistakes. Keep your workspace clean and consistently remind yourself to do so... Also, bring your own Sharpies
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A Microplane.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A really good BLT.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte, but with sharing.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
At Gaa in Bangkok.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Domino’s.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Ben Spalding’s chicken skin sando.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef: The Professionals.
What’s the most overrated food?
Lobster.
You’re a restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Drunken hen and stag parties.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Bill Buford, George Carlin, Anthony Bourdain, and Mishka Shubaly.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Hot crumpets with loads of butter on a cold day after cross-country running.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram; it’s much better for food imagery.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I crashed a car when I was either six or seven; it could have ended very badly.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
The Sussex Downs, or anywhere I can be outside in nature. Bonus if I can sleep in a hammock
What’s your tipple of choice?
Guinness or a dessert wine.. or a tin of Tyskie if we’re out past closing.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Crispy duck pancakes and Vimto.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
It’s not on the menus at the moment, but I love making porchetta so it always makes a comeback.
