Chef of the Week: Bobby Singer, Executive Pastry Chef at Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba in London

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Two and a half years.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I have always been interested in cooking. I left school at 17 and applied to Westminster Kingsway College, where I studied for 3 years to gain my NVQ Level 3 in Patisserie and Confectionary.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Training and mentoring junior level chefs in the craft of pastry and being able to be creative on a daily basis.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Vanilla, milk and eggs.

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

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not learning the basic techniques early on in their career.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Summer, so many amazing fruits available to use.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Our festive trifle, consisting of a lemon polenta cake, brûlée custard, berry compote, Chantilly cream and crystallised almonds. Something light to have at the end of your meal.

How do you come up with new dishes?
Sometimes I get a flavour combination in my mind and I run with it and see what come out and also inspiration from social media.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Amaury Guichon, Damien Wager and Karim Bourgi.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Anything by Ottolenghi.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Damien Wager and Spencer Metzger.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Nessa, Soho under Tom Cenci.