Chef of the Week: Alfie Jebb Crouch, Head Chef at Boys Hall in Kent

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been the Head Chef at Boys Hall for 1 year and 5 months.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
A lot of my passion for cooking comes from my mum cooking a lot that I can remember from a young age.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Being able to be creative and cooking delicious food, working within a team of likeminded people and being able to cook for guests, friends and family and creating great memories.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without?
Salt, lemon and dashi.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Vitamix.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Small plates and sharing style menus.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Always show respect in the kitchen and learn as much as you can from your peers.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love Thai food, love all their spices and ingredients!

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Last spring we did a delicious red mullet dish which consisted of red mullet, monks beard, radicchio and finished with a lobster jus.

How do you come up with new dishes?
Eating out, reading books, looking at what other chefs are doing.

Who was your greatest influence?
Anthony Bourdain and Tony Parkin.

Tell us the chefs you admire.
Anthony Bourdain, Tom Brown, Tony Parkin, Dan Smith and Joshua Hughes.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Tom Kerridge – Hand & Flowers.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Joshua Hughes (Hide & Fox).

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Roe.