Worrall-Thompson Grilled On Illegal Cook
A failed asylum seeker has been arrested at TV chef Antony Worrall-Thompson’s restaurant near Kew Bridge in London. The 33-year-old Algerian was working in the kitchens at the Kew Grill…
Fugitive Foodie Undone By Pork Stew
If you ever wanted to illustrate the benefits of learning how to knock out the odd easy dish, then look no further than the unlikely tale of Chang Wen-tzung. The…
Crumble In The Jungle
One day I heard those golden words I’d been waiting so long to hear. Four tables ordered at the same time, and I’d got those out, and was dealing with…
Casino Royale With Cheese
I got a job working for a film location catering firm knocking out grub for the new Bond movie. I arrived at the airfield at 2.30pm in the blistering heat…
Cooking Up Revenge On Invasive Crayfish
I spent the next few weeks looking for another cooking job. Greeny and Stewie were the only ones I’d stayed in touch with. They phoned one day and said they’d…
Burger To Go: McRapping For Sacking
Following my last post about treatment of staff at some high volume restaurants, pity the plight of a burger flipper in Holland. She was sacked by McDonald’s for the unspeakable…
The Steaks Are High
Diego took me into the main kitchen and got me to deep-fry batches of potatoes before finishing them off in the oven. The trailer was about 30ft long and as…
World Cup: Irish Will Never Baguette
A friend spotted this court case in an Irish daily and said it read like a Father Ted script. It amused me so I thought I’d pass it on… A…
Spam, Spam, Chips And Spam
They say an Army marches on its stomach, so spare a thought for Corporal Liam Francis in Afghanistan. The Army chef was forced to feed comrades on Spam-based recipes for…
Can Celebrity Chefs Learn From El Bulli?
Interesting news that El Bulli is to shut for two years so that Ferran Adria (pictured right) can dream up some fresh recipes and trail-blazing ideas. He said he has…
Can A Menu Be Racist?
A canteen chef in America has found herself at the centre of a race row after serving up a soul food menu in celebration of Black History Month. Leslie Calhoun’s…
El Bulli's Not Quite Dead…
I’ve never quite understood the fuss on Twitter about El Bulli closing – from foodies with no chance of ever eating there. When chef genius Ferran Adria announced he was…
Old Cheffing Wounds Never Heal
My favourite anecdote about Gordon Ramsay (no, not the one about him being cautioned for gross indecency in a Tube station toilet) was when he was working at Michel Roux…
Masterchef & The Call Of The Onions
I’ve been watching this year’s Masterchef final with a tad more enthusiasm than normal. Not so much googly-eyed Alex and his wonderful use of offal and, yawn, molecular gastronomy. He’s…
Chef Dies After Working 100-Hour Weeks
I’ve blogged a lot about how hard cheffing is and how much respect I’ve got for the poor souls who beaver away doing 18-hour days in Michelin restaurants, often without…
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…