What was your first industry job?
Working at The Jolly Sailor pub in Portsmouth after I left the Royal Navy in 1979.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Music was my first love and it will be my last. In all seriousness, after leaving the Navy, I spent many years working in the music industry across London, Glasgow, and parts of Europe. My biggest claim to fame is the dance classic FRAGMA’s I Need a Miracle, which many people will know and love. As manager of the group, back in 2000, I saw it sell 560,000 copies, earning us a gold disc. Other highlights included forming an independent record label called Contribution Records; managing Scottish singer Robert Ferrier, who was later signed to Mega Records in Sweden; and managing vocalist Roberta Childs, who reached number two in the dance charts with Here Comes the Rain Again. When the time came to move on from the music industry, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the professional kitchen!
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
It has to be Gordon Ramsay for his sheer talent and determination – you don’t reach the top in this game without talent.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Spoons left at the bottom of sauce containers after service and then put back in the fridge. It shows a lack of concern.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
At a place I used to work, we served chicken breast on the bone. A female customer complained, saying: “Look at my breasts, they don’t have a bone!”
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Flavour, colour, and neat presentation, in that order.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
Touch wood, I don’t think I’ve had one.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Learn from everyone and observe everything – that’s how you pick up skills!
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A good kitchen knife, obviously.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A rack of lamb served with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans, and a nice red wine sauce with mint.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu for me.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
An amazing lamb curry, cooked by Tony Singh, while sitting at the bar in Oloroso in Edinburgh.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Pizza Express used to be good, but I haven’t been for a while.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
The classic Scottish dish of mince and tatties.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
What’s the most overrated food?
Italian cuisine.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Tweezers and edible flowers!
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, and Denzel Washington.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Vesta chicken curry kit from the 70s.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Nothing, really, hopefully it’s a long way off.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Rehearsal studio with a band to play some drums.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Rum, lime, and ginger beer.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Builder’s tea and chocolate Hobnobs.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Beef Wellington in filo de brick pastry with fondant potatoes, kale, and peppercorn gravy.
