Chef of the Week: Jonnie Ferguson, Junior Sous Chef at The Glenturret & Roux Scholar 2022

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been at the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant as a Junior Sous since January 2022.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
A lot of inspiration came from TV shows to be honest. I used to spend my free time after school watching Rick Stein, Keith Floyd and Gary Rhodes, to name a few.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Eating in other restaurants! It’s great to make new connections with other people in hospitality, and we always try to look after each other.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, vinegar and butter.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
A good blender.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Charcuterie seems to be more common in restaurants now, and that’s not a bad thing.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Cooking what they think people want to eat, rather than just cooking something they would sit down and eat.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love late summer into autumn. I think Scottish produce is at its best around then, and it excites me every year.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
It’s not “my dish”, but I’m proud of what I served in the final of the Roux Scholarship Final this year. Chaud- froid of duck a l’orange with asparagus. That was a very special thing to cook.

How do you come up with new dishes?
I like to cook what I want to eat, that’s where it all has to start and end for me.

Who was your greatest influence?
Andrew Fairlie is someone I looked up to while I was lucky enough to work for him, and his legacy is something I’m hugely proud to be a part of.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Mark Donald, Stephen McLaughlin and Grant Achatz.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Ma Cuisine Francaise by Yannick Alleno.