What was your first industry job?
A bistro in the east end of Glasgow called Tibo – a great place that gave me the opportunity to kickstart my career.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Probably manufacturing; I worked in a few factories, including a Michelin tire one, before entering the culinary field.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
There are many amazing chefs, but I would say Ferran and Albert Adrià. I met them a few years ago and dined at several places around Barcelona; the food was simply mind-blowing. I would have loved to experience El Bulli back in the day, as their innovations have opened up new aspects of cooking for chefs today.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Lateness.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
“We got pregnant on our last visit to you” – a lovely couple who created a literal food baby.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Local, seasonal produce cooked with love and butter.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I’ve been quite lucky not to have received any bad reviews since we started in August, but one customer did leave a review complaining about the napkins.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Find a place where you can learn, bring a pen and notepad, and be a sponge for knowledge. Push yourself hard, but remember to take downtime as I’ve seen too many people burn out.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
Probably our Konro Grill; we cook a lot of our meat and fish on it, and it imparts a great flavor.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Spaghetti carbonara; I practically lived on it while working in Italy, and my co-worker Andre made the best. That would be my choice for sure.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu, hands down. In the right hands, it’s a fantastic way to experience a restaurant’s full capabilities and showcase seasonal, local ingredients.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
An impromptu visit to Osteria Tre Gobbi in Bergamo, Italy, a few years ago. I went for the chef’s choice tasting menu and was absolutely blown away. If it weren’t so far away, I’d visit regularly.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
A bargain bucket from KFC… with a tin of caviar, bliss! Unfortunately, there are no fast food joints on the island here.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
I’d prefer MasterChef; it’s always nice to see new, lesser-known talent coming through and pushing themselves.
What’s the most overrated food?
I can’t give a definitive answer, but I do find it frustrating when people garnish dishes purely for aesthetics without adding any flavor.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Customers snapping their fingers at the front-of-house staff.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Gareth Ward from Ynyshir, Mark Donald from the Glenturret Lalique, and Rasmus Munk from the Alchemist. I admire what these chefs are doing and would love to pick their brains over dinner.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Sunday dinners at my gran and granddad’s house – proper homemade steak pie with stewed butcher’s sausages. It was hearty, and I often think about it.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram. I never really got into Twitter, but Instagram has become a great platform for chefs of all levels to connect and share ideas.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I was hit by the side of a bus once in London. I don’t remember much afterward, but I had several fractures and stitches. Thankfully, it could have been much worse, though I’m a bit wary of buses now.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
I’m fortunate to have so much open space on the Isle of Mull. I enjoy walks along the coastal paths or through the fields at the Glengorm estate, where we source a lot of our produce. Long walks often end with a well-deserved dram at one of the local bars.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Ledaig 10 year old. It’s a fantastic local dram from the distillery at the end of the street.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Charcuterie and a negroni; I could have that for lunch any day of the week.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Although we frequently change our menu, one dish keeps reappearing: hand-dived scallop cooked over the BBQ, accompanied by fennel jam, chili emulsion, vermouth, and white chocolate espuma, finished with smoked dehydrated scallop roe.
