Chef of the Week: Jamell Small, Private Chef in London

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’m currently working with Future Plates doing a combination of Caribbean and African inspired cuisine at events (i.e. black history month) and I have also worked with Chef Jason Howard for more than 7 years on consultancy projects for restaurants.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion started when I was 3 years old and I mastered it by 5 whilst cooking with my mom, she was a Rasta. It was all amazing to me. My grandmother (St Vincent born) also taught me to cook along with my mother’s mom who loved to cook for me, and I’d help. I gained skills from each one of them, as well as an understanding and love for food.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I love history and culture, so learning different cuisines from other countries and connecting them is what I enjoy the most about being a chef.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Scotch Bonnet, thyme (both types) and clove.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Always a knife, as that’s the top priority equipment that you need to perform all duties for prep.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
At the moment I’d say African, Caribbean and Portuguese, as the culture connecting these countries and very similar. The dishes just have different names and spices.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Mostly the workplace environment seen in some establishments, looking down on chefs of different cuisines and culture. The way that some chefs shout, bully, speak down to others is something that needs to be addressed. You’re always learning and never know all, so to be humble and show respect is a big thing for me. You give what you put out.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
So, as I am from the Caribbean (Barbados), December would be my favourite time. We make what is called Black Cake (Christmas cake), rum cake, baked ham, field peas and so much more. It’s definitely my number one time of the year.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
It would have to be my roasted onion stuffed flying fish on a polenta herb mould with five finger (star fruit) sauce and green oil with micros.

How do you come up with new dishes?
I’m an overthinking chef. I do research on connecting cultures, test and modify until I have the dish I want to perfect.

Who was your greatest influence?
That will always be chef Jason Howard. From the time we met in 2017, he saw what no one else saw and took me under his mentoring and guided me. He helped me understand my pallet, flavours, how to simplify and maximise any ingredient. He pushed me to be a lion of my skills.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Chef Jason Howard, Chef Massimo Bottura and Chef Malcolm Knight.

What is your favourite cookbook?
My favourite cookbooks have to be those by Antonio Bachour.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
It’s hard to say as everyone is evolving, but to name a few would be chef Ope Odutayo, chef William Chilila (Future Plates) chef Jason Howard, chef Damian Reid (Baobab Kitchen, Barbados) just to name a few.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Nico Restaurant Derby.