What was your first industry job?
A small restaurant in Portugal, before London was even on my radar. Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair was my first job here – a completely different pace and pressure to anything I’d known, and probably where I actually learned what this industry is.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Something with books, probably – editing. There’s a satisfaction in tightening something until nothing’s out of place that I think would suit me just as much as cooking does. It’s not so different from a kitchen, really – same instinct for precision, just on the page instead of the pass.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Nuno Mendes – he was probably the first to really put modern Portuguese food on the map in London. Before him, it wasn’t a cuisine people here paid much attention to. He made room for the rest of us.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
‘It’s always been done like this’ – I hear that phrase and immediately want to change whatever it’s attached to. If no one can tell me why something’s done a certain way beyond habit, it’s not a method, it’s just inertia.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I don’t think I could pick just one. Every chef I know has a catalogue of strange comments over the years.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Heavily seasonal and ingredient-led, Mediterranean in spirit, without being tied to any single country’s take on it.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
That we were overpriced. It’s not always easy to see, from the other side of the table, what goes into a dish – the cost of the produce, the hours behind it. That part of the work is invisible by design.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Learn everything you can, work hard, keep your head down – but know the difference between a tough kitchen and a bad one. Leaving isn’t failure. I’ve done it, and it’s never been the wrong call.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
My Victorinox serrated tomato knife – small, unglamorous, and somehow the thing I reach for more than anything else in the kitchen.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Really good bread and salted butter. Nothing else – just the best version of something that simple.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte – I like a guest choosing what they actually want to eat, rather than being told.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
That’s the hardest question. I don’t think I can choose one. I eat out a lot and have had some really amazing meals, from small family-run places to Michelin-starred tasting menus.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Bronson Burgers.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Oma’s braised short rib and orzo. It wasn’t a complicated dish – it just had that thing where every element earned its place. I still think about it.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Garnish for garnish’s sake – a sprig of something that adds nothing to the dish except the appearance of effort. If it’s not doing a job, it shouldn’t be on the plate.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
People who actually enjoy eating – no performance about it, no skipping dessert to seem restrained. That’s the only guest list I care about.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Watching my grandmother make pão de ló in a wood-fired oven – the smell of it filling the whole house long before it was ready to eat.
TikTok or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I’ve been lucky – I don’t think I’ve ever really come close.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
A good meal with friends and a decent bottle of wine – that’s genuinely it for me. After a service, the last thing I want is somewhere trying too hard.
What’s your tipple of choice?
100% a negroni girl. No negotiation.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing (the more obscure, the better)?
A warm pastel de nata and a good vintage port – sounds odd, works perfectly.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
I don’t think I have one. I’m constantly trying to learn and evolve so my food is constantly changing. I think my signature would be whatever food I’m curious about at the moment.