What was your first industry job?
I started out as a kitchen porter at the National Railway Museum restaurant in York.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d probably be a historian, still focusing on food in the early modern period.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Tom Adams, co-owner of Combe Head Farm. I worked alongside Tom on the farm and in the restaurant for three years, initially joining as a stagiaire. I stayed because of his hard graft and constant willingness to adapt and evolve.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Tardiness.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
“This ice cream’s cold.”
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence
As best as possible, from as close as possible.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I haven’t been in the limelight long enough to have had a bad restaurant review. So I’d have to say my partner when she was pregnant. She’s my harshest critic and was scathing about everything.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Consume knowledge – don’t expect it to be given to you. It’s your duty to seek it out, ask questions and focus on how you retain it.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A knife. I value craft, and much of that lies in the skill of breaking down fish and meat.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A huge selection of dishes from Sichuan, Hunan or Yunnan.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Even though I run two tasting menus across our restaurants that I’m really proud of, à la carte is still my preference when I eat. The format lets you create the menu of your wildest dreams and allows the guest to build their own meal. With tasting menus, you always have to consider balance and flow, which I appreciate, but there’s something about the autonomy an à la carte menu gives the guest that I really value.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
My fondest meal was in a small hilltop town in Umbria: medieval fare cooked over an outdoor fire grill – sausages, tripe, grilled small birds, plenty of beans, and lots of red wine and vin santo.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Jollibee – I love its fried chicken burgers.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Ham, egg and chips. I don’t really have dish envy, but there’s a real purity to a plate of food like this and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy it – unless they don’t eat meat.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu.
What’s the most overrated food?
Caviar.
You’re the restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Unannounced dietary requirements. I’ll more than happily cater to all your needs, but please give us a heads-up if you have any dietary requirements so we’re able to make your visit special.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
All of my friends, like we used to have in our twenties. We had dinner together every Sunday, but now we all have children and live across the country, so we can’t keep that ritual going as often.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Either cutting the end of my finger off while chopping onions – it was only the tip, and it was fine in the end. We lived opposite a hospital, so it was dealt with quickly. Both my parents and my granny worked with food and were big on good practice. They could see I loved food, so they let me get on with it. The other early memory is my granny’s breaded fish fingers with spicy ketchup.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?I was caught in an avalanche when I was 19. It turned out fine, but watching it unfold in front of my eyes was terrifying. It’s either that or cycling in London.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Fishing, wherever I can.
What’s your tipple of choice?
A dry sherry.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
If I get home really hungry and need something quick, I’ll fry an egg and serve it over freshly steamed rice with Bisto mixed with Sichuan aromatics. It’s simple but really nourishing after a long day. Otherwise, it’s hand-pulled noodles and a can of Coke.