Not only was she a great mentor but she’s become a great friend too.Īpart from my wife hogging the duvet, I find that because I juggle so many varied projects, both inside and outside the industry, I sometimes worry about dropping the ball on one of them, and the consequences that may bring. Yolande Stanley MCA spotted some potential in me whilst I was training at the University of West London, and took me under her wing quite early on in my career, pushing and training me for the WorldSkills competition in 2007. I remember Heston telling me to question everything and to think outside the box - this has always spurred me on in my career. Which colleague, mentor or employer has had the biggest influence on your approach to business? But my last proper holiday was visiting friends in Chicago last Autumn with my wife, Francesca. I’ve recently come back from a working holiday with Silversea on board the Silver Cloud, travelling from Lisbon to Amsterdam and visiting some amazing markets in France and Spain along the way. This is something I saw international development agency Tearfund doing first hand when I travelled to Ivory Coast with them and saw how they helped farmers lift themselves out of poverty.
Trying to make a difference - whether that’s mentoring young chefs, championing artisan producers or supporting cocoa farmers: it’s all about encouraging others to unlock their full potential. If they ever need a chef in Star Trek I’d be the first one to man the galley, but I wouldn’t say no to an Aston Martin and a Martini… or turn the Tardis down either. What would you be doing if you weren’t a chocolate expert?Īn actor - having grown up treading the boards and loving theatre, film and television. However The Waterside Inn, also in Bray, was where my wife and I stayed on our wedding night and enjoyed our first lunch together as a married couple.
The Fat Duck in Bray will always have a special place in my heart because it’s where I spent my first week in a professional kitchen. I don’t think I could ever choose just one. What’s your favourite restaurant or group of restaurants? If there’s any time left over, my wife and I tend to binge-watch box sets on Netflix. How long have you got? As well as sitting on the board of the Academy of Chocolate and judging awards for them and others such as the World Marmalade Awards and the Great Taste Awards to name a few, I help run a local theatre company and am one of the leaders of my church. This is why I’ve become passionate about supporting cocoa farmers in many different ways. Tell us something you wish you had been told at the start of your career?Īsk more questions! In the last few years, as I’ve dived deeper into the world of chocolate, I’ve understood the benefit of having a broad outlook and appreciation of food in general and the social and economic factors that are at play in the world of food. It’s the greatest ingredient on the planet! I always enjoyed it from a very early age and then when I learnt more about it through my training, it became a love affair. Visit National Restaurant Awards website.Follow National Restaurant Awards on social.