National Chef of the Year interview

How did you come to enter last year?
I had a bit of a competition background and I came from Michelin-starred kitchens before working for Entier. One of the main benefits of entering from a contract caterer is that you possibly have more time to prepare, because often you don't have a lunch and dinner service every day. From my point of view, I was very, very heavily supported as well, which was also beneficial.

How did you decide on your dishes?
I wanted to showcase my skills as much as possible. You've basically got three plates of food to show off your capabilities as a chef, so if you can showcase your skills, as well as make it tasty, that's really important.

It needs to look good as well. I know people say, ‘It doesn't matter how it looks’, but at the end of the day people do eat with their eyes. And I always think that if something looks good, nine time out of 10 it's going to taste good.

How do you manage to stay calm when you're competing?
It really depends on your preparation. I put a lot of practice in beforehand, so going into the day I felt like I had done everything I possibly could have up to that point. All I had to do then was go and execute it.

Obviously, you still get nerves, but you've got to have some nerves. The key, for me, to staying calm is just to try and stay in a routine and not to engage in the moment too much. Tell yourself, ‘I'm going in there to cook a three-course menu I do all the time. Let's just go and do it’. If you get overwhelmed, you can almost defeat yourself before you've even started.

Why do you why do you think you were victorious in the end?
Well, I didn't taste anyone else's food, I just saw pictures of it, but I think it was probably the fact that I'd worked on the development of the dishes, making sure that they were well balanced, they hit the brief and that I was showing good skills. What you put in your paper entry, you want to just execute what you said you were going to deliver. And I thought I did that really well, so maybe that’s why.

What's the effect of winning been?
It is a huge competition and the prizes are amazing, which is great… but the prizes aren't the be all and end all. For me, it’s more about the fact that my name is now up there with the likes of Luke Selby, Gordon Ramsay, Mark Sargeant, Simon Hulstone – you've got so many amazing chefs up there.

Also, the doors that it has opened already, huge opportunities like the networking and the chance to get your name out there. At the end of the day, I'd love to maybe do my own thing in the future, and this really sets you on the right path.

Finally, would you recommend that other contract catering chefs enter?
With these competitions, it doesn't matter where you work; you could work in a three-star Michelin, or you could work for a contract catering company. It doesn't matter, if you're a good chef, you're a good chef. You shouldn't let where you work hinder you from doing something like this.

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