Chef Director

Happy, glass very much half full kind of a bloke. Content to be surrounded by young family and guitars. Opportunity to play tennis keeps everything in good balance.

Career

Globe-trotting restaurant chef since my early 20s. Disastrous attempt at distribution of bathroom porcelain in Northern Europe before that. Now in foodservice working with great talent and more motivated and passionate for our industry than ever.

Weirdest dish

A Persian ‘delicacy’ served by the institute of Middle Eastern affairs in the New York. Not sure exactly what it was but it was certainly unfamiliar. Long and rubbery.

Best steak

The ‘T’ bone supplied by Beacon farm butchers in Walsall. Cook it yourself in a hot pan with a little foaming butter. The finest.

Best Fish

Gigha Halibut supplied by the fishery of the same name in the Hebrides. Unique flavour and texture. Absolutely outstanding.

Fave Dish

Boiled crab, sourdough toast, mayonnaise and Reisling.

Sport

Lifelong tennis player. Will have a go at anything and enjoy it.

Not keen on

Pantomimes, musicals and excessive talking.

Holidays

Always drove to France with our parents when we were small. Doing exactly the same now with our kids.

Musical hero

Ian Siegal – by a mile. Honourable mentions to Junior Kimbrough and R.L Burnside.

Personal ambition

To write some songs that people will want to listen to.

Professional ambition

Stay authentic. To be the best possible advocate for our business and my industry generally.

Animals

Couple of cats.

Let’s Talk Catering

It’s good to talk, but it’s even better to listen. We’re good listeners. By keeping quiet and letting you do the talking we can work out what you want, what you need, what will and won’t work for you. We can deal with the budgets and costings (boring but essential) then get on with the exciting bit, creating a catering solution designed for you, and you alone.

I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.

A. Whitney Brown

Men may come and men may go... but pie goes on for ever

George Augustus Sala

Only a fool argues with a skunk, a mule or a cook.

Old Cowboy Saying

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.

Oscar Wilde

A party without cake is just a meeting.

Julia Child