Where do you source your ingredients?
I source the ingredients for One-O-One from many different locations. Our produce comes from places ranging from the west coast of Scotland for lobster, langoustine and scallops, to the Isle of Man for Queenies and the south of England for seabass, sole, "hasting" Pollock and red mullet. Boulogne in France is where I source the oysters and other small shellfish like razor clams and whelks while I buy One-O-One’s famous Royal Red King Crab and white sterling halibut from Norway. Regarding vegetables, we mostly source these from England, France, Italy and Spain. Freshness, quality and sustainability are the most important factors for me when sourcing all of the ingredients we use at One-O-One.
Which are your favourite London restaurants?
I don't really have a favourite in London as it’s very difficult to choose one from so many great restaurants! I really like Bar Boulud which is next door to us. It has a great concept and the food is simple but delicious. I was also a huge fan of The Capital Restaurant during Eric Chavot’s time there.
What is your favourite food to experiment with?
Anything coming from the sea! I delight in the opportunity to try new dishes and seafood and fish are ideal for this.
Can you name a food that you regard as a guilty pleasure?
Banoffee pie – I would eat it every day of the week if I could!
Is there an ingredient you hate using?
Marmite! I absolutely hate it!!!
What do you think restaurant trends will be for the year ahead?
Sustainability and value for money have become increasingly important for restaurants in the past few years and I foresee these being even more important in 2012. I believe that guests want food which is both sustainably sourced and good value, as well as being simple and tasty. At One-O-One we listen carefully to feedback from our customers as they are the most important critics a restaurant can have and this is what we hear on a regular basis.
What has your most valuable experience as a chef been?
Working with many different people from many different countries around the world throughout my career has been amazing. I have been lucky to have worked with lots of different characters whose creativity and different approaches to cooking and life in general have taught me so much. The Sheraton Park Tower recently hosted a pop-up of the famed Indian restaurant Bukhara from one of our sister Luxury Collection hotels, the ITC Maurya in New Delhi. I worked closely with Bukhara’s Executive Head Chef Manjit Gill to bring the pop-up to life here in London and through that learnt huge amounts about truly authentic Indian cooking. I discover a new world of cooking every day and feel very lucky to be able to express myself through my cooking and teaching new chefs all the time.