Chef of the Week: Tom McKellar, Sous Chef at The Willow Tree in Bourn, Cambridge
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have just taken the role of Sous Chef, at The Willow Tree in Bourn. A secret garden that I’m very lucky to be a part of.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I draw all my cooking love from my uncle Phil and his mother and father. From a very young age they had me watching their every move and sat at tables banging cutlery eagerly waiting the best meal of the week. I’ve been roasting potatoes nearly 20 years and cannot beat his mums, shamelessly.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Foraging for my ingredients bring my soul so much peace. I would take my children out for mushrooms and it’s so fulfilling.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter, salt and fire.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Thermomix, it’s like having two more hands.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Seasoning. To quote Sat Bains, it’s an art. One that you must master over years, one I am still dancing with even now as techniques change almost as much as the menu.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring, I worked at The Whitebrook in Wales and it gave me the most insatiable hunger for spring produce.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Over the years there are so many it would be impossible to chose.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Most of my inspiration comes from my family and conversations almost accidentally.
Tell us 3 chefs you admire.
Andre Chiang of Restaurant Andre. A true inspiration on every level. Bjorn Frantzen & Adam Handling – Master craftsmen.
What is your favourite cookbook? Octaphilosophy by Andre Chiang, The Frog Cookbook, Adam Handling and The Frantzen Cookbook by Bjorn Frantzen.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months? I’m very excited about what’s happening at the Frog in Covent Garden and I’m certain that’ll gain a star very soon.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year? Socca by Claude Bosi in Mayfair. Well worth the trip!
