What was your first industry job?
A kitchen porter at The Hen and Chicken in Froyle, Hampshire.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d be involved in something creative. I wanted to be a graphic designer through school and these days I love a canvas or a camera. However, AI is all over those roles now, so maybe something like a gardener instead.
What industry figure do you most admire?
Jason Atherton. He has lots of high-profile restaurants but seems to go about things fairly quietly before launching something new. Danny Pecorelli, from Exclusive Hotels, is someone else I’ve always admired and continue to look up to. I’m biased as I used to work for him, but the way he allows his team to grow, develop and discover their own style, while maintaining the group’s standards, is impressive.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Unnecessarily loud noise. I know it’s generally a loud environment, but when pans are slammed around or everyone is shouting to have a conversation, it’s irritating. Also, timers.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I once worked at a restaurant where the chefs served the food. A couple I served looked up at me, slid their key towards me and said, “This is our room, we’d love to see you later.”
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence
A hyper-seasonal, ingredient-led approach shaped by local produce and brought to life using classic and modern techniques with bold flavour combinations.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
Just before the first lockdown, while I was cooking at Heritage, we were visited by a critic who slated the food, saying it wasn’t balanced and criticising the sweetness levels across the menu. It got lost in the wider news around Covid, so it didn’t do any real damage. He wasn’t the most civil of guests, I have to say.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Buy a notebook, pay attention in every kitchen you work in and write everything down.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
My Thermomix.
What would you choose for your last meal?
My mum’s chicken curry.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
L’Enclume is hands down my most memorable meal. They served a lamb hotpot that was just three spheres of liquid. Unreal.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Wingstop.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Pierre Koffmann’s pigs’ trotter.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu.
What’s the most overrated food?
Caviar.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Dietaries announced on the spot.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Michael Jordan, Johnny Depp, Claudia Winkleman, Dave Grohl, Scarlett Johansson, plus a few friends and family.
What’s your earliest food memory?
The ridiculous buffets my family would put on whenever there was a get-together — three different curries, fishcakes, roast meats, vegetables and five different types of pudding. Later in the evening we’d have coconut fingers and jam tarts.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
A few years ago, I was driving home after work in heavy snow. About 10 minutes from home on the A23, my rear tyre lost grip and sent the car spinning. It then regained traction and headed straight into the central reservation. The car was completely written off.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
There’s a cricket club near me — no frills, proper retro and a great place to hang out, especially in the summer.
What’s your tipple of choice?
I do like a good rum. I created a cocktail called a Pippy Pirate — rum, caramel syrup and Appletiser. It’s deadly.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Rum, Doritos and houmous.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
It would have to be the goat dish from Great British Menu. It’s one that never left the menu and people still talk about it: ballotine of goat saddle stuffed with fillet and kidney, slow-cooked shoulder, salt-baked leg, herder pie, goat fat dumpling, roasted pineapple, barbecue goat jelly and marzipan.