What was your first industry job?
Kitchen porter.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Something creative and practical connected to the land. A winemaker, perhaps?
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Raymond Blanc, for his enduring passion for the industry and love of produce, as well as his leadership on sustainability and his ability to nurture incredible teams.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Carelessness.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I once had a customer bring their own food into the restaurant and ask me to cook it for them.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Seasonal cooking built on a foundation of exceptional produce and classic techniques.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
Thankfully nothing awful from the press, but when working at The Pass I put a bitter chocolate tarte on the menu, which one customer complained about on TripAdvisor, saying he’d had better desserts at McDonald’s.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Find a chef who will mentor you and teach you the foundations of classic cookery. Work in a kitchen that gives you the opportunity to move across all sections. Show up, work hard and absorb as much as you can. Keep your horizons open and work abroad.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
An Apex chopping board.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Well, I’d want to go out with a bang, so this meal would be indulgent, comforting and nostalgic: Oysters, caviar and blinis, grilled Scottish langoustines; steak frites with peppercorn sauce; and finally Tahitian vanilla ice cream and warm madeleines.
À la carte or tasting menu
À la carte, for the generosity it can provide.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
A tough question, but probably my first meal at l’Arpège.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Outside the UK, Max Burger in Sweden. Otherwise, McDonald’s: two double cheeseburgers and a side of chicken selects.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Pierre Koffmann’s stuffed pig’s trotter.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
GBM all the way.
What’s the most overrated food?
Microherbs and cresses, especially the dreaded red amaranth.
You’re a restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
No-shows.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Louis Theroux, Tom Waits, Keith Richards and Anthony Bourdain.
What’s your earliest food memory?
I think it would be ‘sunset eggs’. My mum would make this for me and my brothers as a quick supper. It consisted of mashed potato with tomato ketchup folded through, with an egg dropped in the middle and baked until just set. Not very gastronomic, but incredibly comforting.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I was in the butchery barn at Fäviken trying to bring down a side of pork hanging on a track suspended from the roof. The carcass was jammed, so I was forcing it forward and knocked off a massive metal hook, which came hurtling down towards me from a great height. Miraculously, I caught it one-handed before it hit my head. To this day, I still have no idea how my reflexes saved me.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
With my family on the beach, followed by a sauna and a cold dip.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Currently, a mezcal margarita.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing (the more obscure, the better)?
Fried chicken with blanc de blancs English sparkling wine.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Datterini tomato gazpacho with Devon crab, mustard and dill flower ice cream.