Chef of the Week: Tom Everard-Fairburn, Chef Proprietor of The Market Place Pantry in Warwick
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
We opened in May of 2020.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I’ve always had a passion for cooking really, ever since I could see the top of the stove. I did a year at South and City College Birmingham, and then a year at Gloucestershire College in Cheltenham.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I enjoy the development and creation of new pastries and dishes – and of course the tasting!
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Flour, Butter and Sugar.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My Hobart!
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Pastries and Danishes combined with cakes – like a sticky toffee pudding croissant or tiramisu Danish.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Having a big ego. Never be afraid to admit you don’t know something, or that you need help.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn – big plates of warm comforting food. Love it!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Tough one. I’m going to pick a single item and say my croissants.
How do you come up with new dishes?
It varies, sometimes it just strikes me, and sometimes I can be racking my brains for days.
Who was your greatest influence?
I think growing up it was probably my dad really, we would always compete to make the best dinner.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Glynn Purnell, Sat Bains and Cedric Grolet.
What is your favourite cookbook?
My all-time favourite is ‘Patisserie by William and Suzue Curley’.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Bharat Chandegra.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Hmm, too many to say really – I take my hat off to anyone who has managed to get something off the ground these past couple years.
