Chef of the Week: Jordan Barnes, Head Chef at SakkuSamba in Manchester
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I started at SakkuSamba in September 2023.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Always watching my mum cook for the family and watching tv programmes showing it can be a great career.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Being a chef I enjoy the feeling of being able to express myself onto a plate of food and hearing happy customers is such an amazing feeling that I can offer customers memories and make there experience as enjoyable as possible.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, pepper and fat (oil or butter).
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My range of utensils.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I have spotted that eco-friendly dining is a huge trend at the moment.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Overworking and taking everything personally when it does t go right.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
It has to be winter with more homely hearty meals.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Has to be my trio of lamb.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Keeping on top of customer wants and then build from there.
Who was your greatest influence?
My mother.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Spencer Burge
- Miho Sato
- Marcus Wareing
What is your favourite cookbook?
It has to be Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
- Tom Meyer
- Calvin Eng
- Marcus Clayton
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
My favourite restaurant opening of last year would be The Portrait by Richard Corrigan.
