Rum Baba Wins Student Pastry Chef of the Year 2023
Kai Whittaker (23) won the 2023 Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition, organised by leading chef networking organization, The Chefs’ Forum. The high-profile event with a star-studded judging panel was held on Wednesday May 10th May at West London College.
Whittaker, Patisserie and Confectionery Level 2 student is also enrolled at West London College which brought great joy to the hosting college.
There were two sets of winners. The visiting chefs and suppliers judged based on looks and the pastry judges chose the final 3. Kai Whittaker’s baba au rum, soaked in rum and filled with coconut chocolate ganache and cream.
The baba also contained passion fruit curd, pineapple and mint – Topped with perfect crowns of Italian meringue – Delicious? The judges thought so and the reason why it was judged best overall – Kai’s plated dessert won the judges hearts, and he was also voted 2nd for ‘looks only’ by a tough audience of over 50 chefs who attended the event, to ensure the room of top chefs agreed with the decision.
Who were the judges?
- Michael Kwan – Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester and UK Pastry Team
- Michael D’Angelo – Head Pastry Chef at Louie London
- Franciane Tartari – Head Pastry Chef and International Judge
- Enrico Carloni – Head Pastry Chef at The Peninsula
- Biju Joshwa – Executive Pastry Chef at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
- Cherish Finden – Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
- Nelson Sa – Head Pastry Chef at South Place
- Thibault Hauchard – Executive Pastry Chef at Claridge’s
- Benoit Blin – Executive Pastry Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons/Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
Kai received a hand-painted trophy by luxury tableware brand, Wedgwood, which is a fantastic memento of his wonderful achievement.
Second place went to Katrina and third to Jack, who each won an amazing goody bag packed with vouchers, Wedgwood cake stands, Koppert Cress vanilla and a whole host of goodies from Henley Bridge, Adande Refrigeration, Mitchell & Cooper, Matfer Bourgeat, First Choice Produce, Bragard and Taylor UK.
“It’s a major triumph for the hosting college,” said Catherine Farinha, Chefs’ Forum Founder afterwards. “We are so proud for West London and the work our Chefs’ Forum Academy does here.”
Whittaker’s winning dish comprised of a rum baba (baba au rum) with passion fruit curd, coconut chocolate ganache, cream and white chocolate cream, Italian meringue and pineapple tartar. It was plated on a Gio Gold plate by Wedgwood and used chocolate by Republica del Cacao, kindly supplied by Henley Bridge Ingredients.
Kai told the Chefs’ Forum: “It is such a privilege to win this great competition. I can’t believe it. The judging panel is as good as it gets. Wow!”
Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum for Service Industries was delighted to host the competition, she said
“We were delighted to host this prestigious competition for the second time and enter it for the third year running – We were absolutely over the moon that one of our learners won. We really are so proud of Kai and the hard work he has put into this competition. I would like to thank all finalists and their lecturers for visiting and cooking at West London College yesterday and they were all an absolute credit to their colleges – The future of patisserie in the UK is looking very bright indeed!”
Tartari, lead judge said: “This year we set a high bar for the students, and they really delivered. Kai Whittaker’s rum baba was a real demonstration of skill and showed why it is so important to study the craft of pastry. Every element of his dish was perfect, and he was a worthy winner in a strong field.”
Catherine Farinha said: “The Student Pastry Chef of the Year Competition is an important part of our calendar and to get so many interested students who are keen to be involved is very encouraging. This year’s finalists all gave everything and it was a joy to watch from the sides.
“A big thank you to West London College for hosting and to all our amazing judges and suppliers who made it possible.”
Huge congratulations to all 8 finalists and we would love you to enter again if you are still in college next year – We’re certain you have an extremely bright future ahead of you!
Winner
Kai Whittaker, West London College
Second place
Katrina Tañas Atienza, University of West London
Third place
Jack Morris, Coleg y Cymoedd
Finalists
Husnaa Kaka, Leicester College
Gemma Collick, Leicester College
Mali Leese, Coleg y Cymoedd
Oraib Al-Shareeda, West London College
Abby Webster, North Kent College
Chef of the Week: Junior Menezes, Private Catering Chef in London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been employed in the culinary industry for over twenty years, and have been working with bespoke catering for the past six years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My curiosity for cooking began at a young age of eight when I assisted my uncles in the kitchen. My inquisitive nature and passion for the craft have propelled me to where I am today.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The satisfaction of my customers and the creative process of crafting new dishes are the aspects that I enjoy most about being a chef.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Thyme, olive oil, and garlic are three ingredients that I consider essential in my culinary creations.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knives are an indispensable tool in my kitchen, and I cannot imagine creating my culinary delights without them.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I have a particular interest in the “real food” trend, which promotes the use of fresh and natural ingredients, and minimizing processed foods.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
In my opinion, a common mistake that chefs make is prioritizing financial gain over their passion for cooking, which can result in a lack of creativity and diminished quality in their dishes.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
As a Brazilian, I am particularly fond of the summer season, which provides ample opportunities for grilling beef over an open flame.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
While I strive to take pride in all of my creations, currently, the most popular dish I serve at my events is the “Lemon-Crusted Salmon with Parmesan Mash and Grilled Asparagus.”
How do you come up with new dishes?
I am often inspired to create new dishes by my culinary experiences during my travels or by trying new and unique ingredients. I then explore various techniques and methods to create a dish that bears my signature style.
Who was your greatest influence?
My family has been my greatest influence, and every achievement that I make is to honor them.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
I greatly admire Chef José Andrés, Chef Gary Rhodes, and Chef Eric Bédiat for their culinary prowess, innovation, and dedication to the craft.
What is your favourite cookbook?
My favourite cookbook is “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.”
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I believe that following the pandemic, we can expect to see a wave of exciting and innovative chefs emerging from all corners of the globe.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Asian-inspired dining experience at “Humble Chicken 2.0”.
Pop in and Have a Chaat at Talwar Express!
We are always pleased when chefs and hospitality leaders open new places and happy to spread the word. Ex-GM of Bristol’s The Mint Room and Bandook, Mohan Shanmugam has opened his first restaurant, along with Executive Chef and Business Partners, Muraliraj Narahimaraj and Murthy Ganta.
The hospitality trio are more of a work family, have a fantastic rapport and have worked all over the country together, notably at Birmingham’s Lasan Group and London’s Bombay Bustle Indian street food restaurant in Mayfair by the Leela Palaces Group.
Talwar Express is modelled on these hugely popular Indian street food spots and the style of cuisine is very much from the Southern region – Tamil Nadu; Both Mohan and Murali hail from the Chennai and Tamil is their spoken language.
Talwar means sword in Tamil and is representative of the determination and gumption that the team have displayed since arriving in the UK with big dreams in 2008. It is this hard work and dedication that has led to the opening of Talwar Express and the Bristol Food Media Lunch was a celebration of the cumulation of their labour of love.
The Chefs’ Forum were delighted and honoured to have been asked to gather the great and the good of Bristol’s foodie glitterati for a special Bristol Food Media Lunch to firmly launch the restaurant in a city, where world street food is extremely well-represented and a total of ninety one languages and cultures celebrated.
We have worked with the team for the last six years, staging many culinary events, both at their restaurants for chefs, as well as high profile customer events and new model launches for both Bristol Audi and Bath Audi.
“Talwar Express is a homage to Indian street food,” Mohan told Catherine Farinha. “It’s a style of food that I grew up with and it’s close to my heart. You’ll find staples like chaats and street specials as well as light, healthy plates to share, as well as curries and all sorts of sides.”
“It’s a really interesting menu from someone who really knows the subject,” Catherine Farinha enthused after a taste of the food. “We enjoyed a Mysore Masala Dosa, Lahori Lamb Chops, a Mughlai murgh and gunpowder chips. It was fantastic.
“What I really loved was the way the menu was laid out. It’s unfussy and easy to understand and moves the regular Indian menu format in a new direction. We all felt we could order in any different direction and the plates to share were generous. It’s great to see Mohan doing something he really loves.”
There were some fantastic comments from Bristol’s merry band of food writers and bloggers; Here were some of the comments:
“The food was absolutely faultless, just like home, we’re now going to hold our celebratory lunch here for fifteen members of 91 Ways.”
Mrs Baljeet Marwah, 91 Ways to Build a Global City
“It was all so good – One of our favourite dishes was the flavour-packed Kale Pakoda – Get yourself down to Talwar Express if you haven’t already!”
Emily Henley, Bristol Bites
“The Perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday, what a pleasure to enjoy well-executed South Indian Food served in small plates at the Bristol Food Media Lunch – Thank you for cooking Chef Muraliraj Narashimaraj.”
Ramona Andrews, Multi-Award-Winning food and cookery writer
This really was the perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday and we would urge you to check it out when next in Bristol.
You can find Talwar Express here www.talwarexpress.com
Photography and film by Carlos Farinha.
Ultrasound’s About Right – Waveco® The Brilliant New Tech in Protein and Maturation
We bet you never thought that a water bath could do more than cook at low temperatures. New science developed over the last few years has shown that by using ultrasound, a water bath can be turned into a maturation machine that drastically cuts the time meat, fish and vegetables ripen or mature.
Ultrasound works in food preparation in a unique way. By treating liquid with ultrasound at specific frequencies tiny bubbles are created every second and when they shrink and form again pressure is exerted in the liquid. Lost? Yes, us too. This is bonkers science but stick with it.
Imagine this: You put a piece of fresh, non-matured meat into a vac-pac bag and put it into a water bath. You press a few buttons and the machine goes to work. The result, sometime later, is mature meat that has no weight loss or shrinkage and softness that only comes with ageing. It works with meat, fish and vegetables.
What does this mean? Take pheasant, for example. This is often fresh and hard to cook because chefs and customers don’t like the old tastes of hung game – the traditional way to soften up game. By using ultrasound, the pheasant breast can be matured at room temperature in the water bath using Ultrasound into something completely new. The result is softer and has the maturation required to be easier to cook with better flavour.
Interested? We were. This science is not widely available yet, but those chefs interested in the technology should look at the new machines by Waveco®. This Italian company has patented technology that will revolutionise the way you treat meat, fish and vegetables and enable you to use younger meat – which hasn’t shrunk due to traditional mentors – and guarantee specific maturation.
Waveco® standardises the meat manipulation process by ensuring quicker meat ageing while reducing weight loss without any loss in terms of nutritional values. The process is performed at room temperature and ensures softer, juicier meat.
The Waveco® method allows you to improve the procedures you usually perform in your kitchen while shortening preparation time, reducing cooking temperature and improving the subsequent phase of food storage, thanks to the action of ultrasounds, which reduces the bacterial load and therefore considerably extends the shelf life of the final product.
Waveco® will make its Chefs’ Forum debut at a special event all about meat at Omnino Steakhouse in London’s City District later this month, any chefs wishing to know more or to book a demonstration at their restaurant should contact Evandro Bottecchia, Head of Sales at DCI Maintenance: evandro@dcimaintenance.co.uk
Chef of the Week: Satish Nalli, Executive Chef at Leaf Hotels & Chameleon Café in Kent
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have worked 21 years at Leaf Hotels Ltd as an Executive chef and I am concurrently running the Chameleon Café, located on the coastline of Hythe in Kent since 2019.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for cooking originated from the Institute of Hotel Management in Hyderabad, India. I further developed my skills working at Taj hotels & Resorts in India. During my time my initial years in hospitality, I tried my best to cultivate the best skills I observed from the chefs I worked with in India.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The challenge of creating dishes to suit various palates and getting positive feedback is incredibly rewarding, as well as passing on the tips and tricks of the trade to budding chefs.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, whole spices and curry leaves. I also feel that cooking with intent and love is important – although these are not necessarily ingredients.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
There are several to name, but I’d say a good Chinese cleaver does multiple jobs.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Plant based, sugar free and healthy foods that are good for gut health are particularly interesting to me.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
A failure to understand how ingredients react to various cooking conditions over time, and how to retain and optimise flavour by understanding this.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Although produce is available throughout the year due to farming techniques cultivated across the globe, the time period between spring and summer is certainly my favourite time. The produce tends to be healthy, fresh, and colourful.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
The Rump of Lamb with baby Vegetables & Lyonnaise of Potato with Madeira Jus at Leaf Hotels and the Samosa Chaat at Chameleon Café.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I do take inspiration from the greats in the culinary industry and try to add seasonality to the dishes. I try to experiment with new flavours and never forget the basic tenets of cooking while creating a new dish.
Who was your greatest influence?
The renowned Chef Vivek Singh.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Chef Raymond Blanc, Chef Vivek Singh, and Chef Massimo Bottura.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Larousse Gastronomique & Theory of Cookery by Tangam Phillip from my college days!
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I unfortunately have not been following the up and coming talent since the COVID-19 pandemic, however I do have to give an honourable mention to Chef Craig Edgell (Buoy & Oyster) as he created one of the best fish dishes I had eaten in a while during The Chefs’ Forum event at Hythe Imperial, Kent.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I unfortunately cannot name any restaurant in particular in Kent, however I would say that more people should take the leap to open businesses with more experimental cuisine in this area!
Chef of the Week: Allister Barsby, Chef Patron at Hide and Fox in Kent
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Hide and Fox was opened in June 2019 by my business partner Alice Bussi and I.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I first wanted to cook for a living when I was 16 working at Wheelers Oyster Bar in Whitstable for a weekend job. From there I was offered my first full time job at Reads in Faversham where I learnt the very basics of cooking and how to run a section. After 2 years there I moved down to Devon to work for my friend and mentor Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park, I’d say that was where I became a real chef. It was demanding and high pressure, but I went through the ranks and after 4 years (with a stint at The Bath Priory in between) I became Head Chef at Gidleigh and held the position for 3 years.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I’ve always loved the hard work and comradery of being in an elite kitchen and rising through the ranks. It does feel amazing when you’re a junior chef and you get these promotions after all the hard work. The creativity is something I really enjoy too.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter, vinegar and soy sauce.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
I do feel a little lost if I’m plating up and I don’t have my tweezers at least on my person, so probably them.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
There’s a huge emphasis on crockery right now. Chefs spending hundreds of pounds, sometimes per plate. And now more than ever you’re seeing caviar and truffles on almost every dish. Don’t get me wrong I love these ingredients too and I do use them sparingly, but sometimes I think it’s a bit too much.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Presentation over flavour and balance, or over working a dish.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn, but inevitably you get a bit bored of the root vegetables and then I cant wait for spring.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I love pasta dishes, there is always one on the menu in the form of a raviolo or tortellini. At the moment it’s a chicken and egg yolk raviolo with a rich onion and soy broth with burnt garlic oil.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I’m always thinking about dishes and food combinations, it doesn’t stop so dishes will pop into my head. Its usually just a sit down, look at what’s on season and go from there really.
Who was your greatest influence?
I worked for 8 years with Michael Caines and he still influences my food now so I would say he has. But in general its myself, thinking about food all the time, putting dishes on paper and trying them out.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Michael Caines, Thomas Keller and Simon Rogan.
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Square: Savoury.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Its not the last year but I think Bridge Arms is one of my favourite spots, it really hit the ground running opening during the pandemic. Josh is a phenomenal chef.
Incredible Line-up Wows Welsh School Students
A top line-up at Coleg Gwent yesterday introduced 120 local school students to the joys of a career in hospitality and what they can expect to learn at a top catering college.
The line-up comprised of Great British Menu contestant Cindy Challoner (who is also studying to become a chef lecturer), 3 time award-winning butcher Tim Hanks, Bake Off: The Professionals winner Andrew Minto and head chef Gareth Hope.
“It shows how seriously we take education when a line up like this gets together to inspire school students,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum.
“It’s such a pleasure to work with Coleg Gwent. It’s such an amazing college, whose learners are clearly engaged and very much enjoying their courses.”
The taster day followed a familiar pattern of canapés and mocktails, pasta-making, sausage-making, butchery followed by cooking demonstration with seasonal Welsh produce and perfect patisserie with the finest chocolate fondants being made by Andrew!
At the end the students took part in an éclair decorating competition and the winner was presented with a copy of The Chefs’ Forum’s new publication, The Chef’s’ Knowledge.
Gavin George from Coleg Gwent, said: “The work we do in partnership with The Chefs’ Forum continues to get better and better and every one of these amazing days we do more and more students from local schools get more inspiration to come and study here. A big thank you to the amazing team that came and entertained us!”
Photo & film credit: Carlos Farinha
Chef of the Week: Rob Winslow, Head Chef at The Bay Tree Hotel in Broadstairs, Kent
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have worked at my current restaurant for five years, and have worked my way up from KP to head chef.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I have always had a passion for cooking and baking since a young age even taking part in a junior chef course at Thanet College. I then learnt my skills full-time at East Kent College as a chef studying level 2 to level 3 kitchen and level 3 patisserie & confectionary.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The things I enjoy about being a chef is the excitement during prep and at service time knowing that your prep becomes the end product.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Lemon, butter and fresh bay leaves from the tree at the Bay Tree Hotel where I work.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Definitely the one thing I couldn’t live without are my I.O.Shen knives.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Veganism, vegetarianism and superfoods e.g. kimchi and fermented foods.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
They overcomplicate dishes/or the menu. My key saying is always stay humble.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
My favourite time of year for food is spring/early summer because you have rhubarb, asparagus and new potatoes.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I am most proud of slow cooked pork belly, cooked in apple juice and stock for eight hours, served with creamy mashed potato, sauteed kale, homemade marmalade, glazed heritage carrots and braised leeks.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I come up with new dishes by starting with the basic ingredients and then tweaking it and adding new flavour concepts.
Who was your greatest influence?
Michel Roux Jr and Tom Kerridge.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
I admire Tom Kerridge, Marcus Wareing and Simon Rogan.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Stark by Ben Crittenden. Stark is a local restaurant to me, it has really inspiring dishes in the cookbook.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Gary Usher is definitely the one to watch having just added to his restaurant portfolio.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
The Quince in Westgate with sensational food and atmosphere, they are definitely moving in the right direction.
Student Pastry Chef of the Year Finalists Announced
Eight students have made it through to the final of the 2023 Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition. Lead judge Franciane Tartari has heralded this year’s talent and the hugely-impressive standard of the entries.
Franciane told The Chefs’ Forum:
“I’m really impressed with the diversity and strength of the entrants this year. Pastry is a hard discipline to learn but this year’s bunch are well up for the challenge. Congratulations to all those who made it through to the final!”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said:
“It’s so gratifying to get such good feedback from the students and to see them entering this important competition. We have a great final ahead of us and we are so pleased that 5 colleges share the 8 finalists. That’s a great spread from across the country!”
The finalists are:
- Husnaa Kaka – Leicester College
- Gemma Collick – Leicester College
- Jack Morris – Coleg y Cymoedd
- Kai Whittaker – West London College
- Katrina Tañas Atienza – University of West London
- Mali Leese – Coleg y Cymoedd
- Abby Webster – North Kent College
- Oraib Al-Shareeba – West London College
The Chefs’ Forum would like to take this opportunity to thank all this year’s entrants for their brilliantly-creative presentations and we’re very much looking forward to seeing the final eight finalists create their wonderful concepts on the 10th May at West London College.
Meet the judges:
- Michael Kwan – Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester and UK Pastry Team
- Chris Underwood – Artisserie
- Michael D’Angelo – Head Pastry Chef at Louie London
- Franciane Tartari – Executive Pastry Chef at Amazonico
- Daniel Pearse – Executive Pastry Chef at Rhubarb
- Enrico Carloni – Head Pastry Chef at The Peninsula
- Biju Joshwa – Executive Pastry Chef at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
- Cherish Finden – Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
- Nelson Sa – Head Pastry Chef at South Place
- Thibault Hauchard – Executive Pastry Chef at Claridge’s
- Benoit Blin – Executive Pastry Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons/Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
Thank you to our sponsors: Bragard, Wedgwood, Henley Bridge, Matfer Bourgeat, Mitchell & Cooper, Koppert Cress, First Choice Produce, Taylor UK and Adande.
Chef of the Week: Dave Critchley, Executive Chef at Lu Ban Restaurant in Liverpool
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve been with Lu Ban for about 4 years, the restaurant has been open for about 2 years in total due to covid.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I’ve been in the game for a long time now… starting at 15! I picked up the passion from day one, falling in love immediately with the atmosphere, the energy, the buzz of kitchen life and the camaraderie.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I think it’s the buzz, the excitement before a huge shift, the backs to the wall mentality, the feeling of one team against the world. That feeling at the end of an amazing shift. There’s nothing like it!
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Tough one this! I love trying all kinds of ingredients… but I love the holy trinity of ginger, garlic and spring onion – It forms the basis of a lot of flavour combinations I’m working with at the moment and the aromatics when these three are cooked off is unreal, it really takes me back to my time in China.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without!
I’m going to cheat a bit here… I teach my chefs that they themselves are the most valuable piece of kit in the kitchen. Their senses have to be on point every time we go into service. Touching, feeling, picking up, moving, sight, smell and taste are so important to keep our dishes at the level they should be, and most of all their brains! Chefs need to be able to make decisions and calculations in seconds. A level head is needed at all times.
Failing that leave me with some source of heat, a really good wok, a ladle and a cranked spatula, and I’m happy !
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I think we’re seeing a move towards the classics again which I’m really enjoying … really good simple food done well . And I for one couldn’t be happier. I can see lots of fusion food happening which I think there’s a place for, when it’s done right.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Letting ego drive their dishes or their menus. The fundamental purpose of what we do is serve our customers . I get create menus and dishes for my guests. Another mistake I see often is chefs over complicating dishes and forgetting to nail the absolute basics which is way more important in my eyes . It’s tough, Chefs want to be creative but it has to be about control and balance .
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I think if I’m pushed it’s spring … some incredible produce appears. The colours and the freshness that spring brings with it should be evident in any chefs spring menu!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Ahhhh! The worst question I think a chef can face and probably one we get asked the most. Every dish we put on the menu we need to be more than happy with. We need to be proud every time we serve it. Every dish on the menu currently has a story relating back to my time in China. I need my team to buy into the story and the provenance of each dish and treat it like their own.
How do you come up with new dishes?
It’s quite a complicated (and long) process to be honest, everything has to come back to what I saw in China. If the dish doesn’t have meaning or significance, or a story per say it doesn’t make the menu!
Who was your greatest influence?
I always answer this question the same way. Sure there’s loads of great chefs out there to look up to, but it’s my parents and my family who inspire me every day. I learnt the values of hard work from my mum and dad and it’s my wife and son I want to make proud every day.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Three chefs that probably don’t get the recognition they deserve are Mark Prescott the absolute OG top chef and the most amazing Person (Google him if you need to), John Tamila (Development Chef at Hickory’s) a close friend of mine and the chef that truly sent me on my path to where I am now, one of the best chefs I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and Mike Mounfield, co-author of my book and business partner at Lu Ban as well as mentor and friend he has a wealth of experience as a chef and in education .
What is your favourite cookbook?
Selfishly my own… Cherry Blossom, it was such an emotional day to receive the books to launch. Any chef should aspire to have their dishes in print and to see 25 years of work published in that book meant the world to me!
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I think anyone who hasn’t been watching Nathan Davies at SY23 is missing a trick! Obviously Gareth Ward and Mark Birchall are also setting the standard for us all but I think the next few years will be hugely decisive in the future of hospitality with so many huge challenges ahead of us all. I wish every single one off us the very best for the future as it’s definitely going to be a challenge .
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Manifest in Liverpool. Another fantastic addition to a flourishing food scene. I love what Paul and his team are doing there.
