Tell us a little bit about your background.
I have been involved with kitchen work since I was at school.
The first kitchen job I had was in Wales, then I moved on
to Bath where I worked for two years. Then I decided I wanted
to move down to London to work in a three Michelin star restaurant.
I worked with Nico Ladenis for two years and then went on
to Marco Pierre White's restaurant. During my time at Marco's
he gave back his three stars, as he wanted to step out of
working in a kitchen every day. In the proceeding year we
reclaimed one star and then the next year we got our second.
I held the position of head chef and Robert Reid was the executive
chef. Reid is an excellent chef, I found him to be a very
positive influence on my cooking- he helped me shape my food
style…
Describe your food.
The food that I cook is French based and influenced by classical
dishes, with a modern style. I aim to keep the flavours simple
and allow the natural flavours shine through and compliment
not conflict with the other components of the dish.
How conscious are you about using British produce and responsibly
farmed and harvested meat and fish?
A large percentage of what we use is organic and the majority
of our produce is grown in Britain. Obviously there are certain
commodities - foie gras and truffles are good examples, which
have to be brought in. I do pay attention to sustainable issues
cod is an example of a fish that we do not serve due to its
dwindling supply. I feel that it is important to be responsible
and stay away from it and other items like it.
How did it feel to come and take over the established kitchen
of Foliage and did it make you nervous that it had recently
received its first Michelin star?
Initially it was intimidating for a few reasons; Hywel Jones
(Chris's predecessor) is a fantastic chef so I had some big
shoes to fill. The fact that the restaurant had just received
its star meant that I had to hit the ground running. Additionally
I have always worked in restaurants not hotels; hotels are
not as straightforward to deal with. The intimidation soon
subsided. Hywel and I worked together for ten weeks before
he left to run his own restaurant, this made for a seamless
transition. David Nicholls gave me the instruction to just
run the kitchen and focus on the food. He takes care of the
other issues that are part of hotel restaurant.
How much involvement does Nicholls have on Foliage?
He has a healthy involvement in the restaurant but does not
interfere. Nicholls trust his people and lets them do their
jobs has a very positive effect on the restaurant and as the
Food and Beverage Director he is focused on ensuring we deliver
the whole package - front and back.
Once you are firmly in place, do you plan on changing the
food style of the restaurant?
No my focus will be on delivering the best food to our guests.
Hywel and I have a scarily similar background and therefore
we have a very similar food style, I will be building on what
is already in place.
What about the future would you like to travel or is London
home for you?
I love London and this is where I want to stay. In the past
I had considered working in France, but I want to be part
of the London food scene.
Who do you feel are the culinary names to watch out for
in London?
Marcus Wearing is already part of the picture but will certainly
become a bigger player; Robert Reid has got what it takes
and Hywel Jones is nothing short of genius, we will be hearing
a lot from him in time to come…
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