From Keith Floyd To Rick Stein
Before I start, I should explain why I’m writing this blog. Two years ago, something strange happened to me. There was no epiphany moment involving oysters and swords, or indeed…
The Seafood Restaurant
Rick Stein’s PA phoned the next day, and I drove down the M4 for a week’s work experience at his Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. I rented a room within walking…
Is There A Chilli In The House?
I took a deep breath and walked in the restaurant, wondering what the hell lay ahead. I gave my name at reception, and was told to wait in the conservatory…
Why Didn’t You Do The Cornish Pasties?
It was all going well. I’d have an early night, get up at 5am; shower, shave, and drive up to Rick Stein’s industrial unit for a day learning about Cornish…
Celebrity Chef Enters Kitchen Shock
It seemed absurd to me, yet on the outside – in the media world – Rick Stein appeared quite a nervous, hunched up figure. Quiet and deferential. But he grew…
Kitchen Grillings And How To Survive Them
I walked back into Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant that afternoon, and after changing into my whites, was summoned to Jimmy the executive chef’s office. He was there with one of…
'Chef, Can We Have Some More Parsley?'
Chefs like to see themselves as kitchen warriors, showing off their scars and fighting each day like it’s their last. And Rick Stein’s crew were no different – with the…
Masterchef: 'I’ll Stick My Face In It'
“So, Lennie, tell me about your passion for cooking…” the researcher from the Masterchef show began. She asked me pretty much the same questions I’d filled in on the application…
Masterchef: From Office Into The Pan
I sat there looking at the questions on the Masterchef application form. I had no idea what to put down. The whole show was a farce. The prize was a…
Something Fishy About Masterchef
The dish I decided on for the Masterchef audition was tuna tartare with cucumber and wasabi soup. Don’t ask me why. I’d seen it made in a restaurant somewhere and…
The Fat Duck And Food Poisoning Scares
The producer told me it would be weeks before I knew whether I’d been picked for Masterchef, so I started looking for cooking jobs again. Then I got an email.…
Fat Duck: The Dreaded Grapefruit
After we finished the wrapping, Graham, the Fat Duck’s sous chef, appeared and thumbed a few sweets. Then he led us over the road to the prep room, which would…
Fat Duck: I'm Not An Oyster Shucker…
I got into the Fat Duck at 7.30am the next day and worked under a Canadian chef called Jon on the amuse bouche section – a tiny area of the…
Fat Duck: Sacrifice To The God Of Aero
We started work in the Fat Duck prep house at 8am. After three hours working like devils, we were herded over the road to gobble down food for five minutes.…
Holy Ballotine Of Mackerel 'Invertebrate'!
The gashes and blisters from my battle with the oysters were making it hard to work, and I had shovels for hands at the best of times. The size of…