What was your first industry job?
A Chinese takeaway in Minehead called Precious Cuisine.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d go back into hairdressing.
What industry figure do you most admire?
Gordon Jones of Menu Gordon Jones in Bath. He taught me most of what I know and showed me you can make a good living as a chef.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
People clanking and banging plates and equipment.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
A customer ate an entire plate of food and, when I asked how everything was, said: “Terrible.” I laughed because I thought he was joking, but then he looked at me furiously. He wasn’t joking at all.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence
Cosy.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
One said: “The chocolate mousse was grotesque.”
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Appreciate where you are, climb the ranks slowly and patiently, listen carefully and turn up to work on time.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
My temperature probe.
What would you choose for your last meal?
Three courses: sea bream crudo with olive oil and Tarocco orange, a big steak with hollandaise, barbecued asparagus and new potatoes, then a big old banoffee pie to finish.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte. Although I do love tasting menus too.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Gymkhana. What a special place.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Oowee Diner in Bristol, hands down.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Dairylea Dunkers. The jumbo ones.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
What’s the most overrated food?
Padrón peppers.
You’re a restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Whistling.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Tom Gilbey, Anthony Bourdain and Jeremy King.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Eating raw bacon straight from the fridge with my sister.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Definitely getting run over by a car when I was a kid. Thankfully I wasn’t seriously injured, although I may have wet myself.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
I take myself on a circuit of all the wine bars in Bristol.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Always a Negroni.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Curry and a lager.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Sticky short ribs with cucumber salad and steamed rice.