runs on his heart beat!  He isn’t here as much as he once was but still knows everything that goes on!  If something breaks or if there is an ingredient going out of season he will know about it! 

Daniel will still come in and pull a board up and crack on with the boys doing prep!  Or quite often turn around to one of the chef de parties and say I’ll cook the fish tonight with the commie and you will do the pass with Mark.  He is still very hands on and loves being in his kitchen!

Is the menu down to you or does Daniel decide?

We are constantly working on the menu as a team.  I might get a text message from Daniel at 2am saying order 6 oysters and some other ingredients.  The next day we will work on a dish together.  Sometimes we get it right straight away or it might be the start of a completely different dish.  We don’t put anything on the menu until both of us are totally happy with it!

What have you learnt from Daniel?

I was really fortunate to have been trained by the man himself on the meat and fish sections! He’s hyperactive and wants everything to be done instantly which has obviously had an effect on me! Daniel’s work ethic is admirable and he will never be defeated. If something breaks there’s no such thing as ‘I can’t do that’, it’s ‘let’s get it done’ another way. This has improved my inventive skills!

Daniel always gives everyone a chance, there’s not a chef that comes into the kitchen that is looked down on. We give them all opportunities to prove and better themselves. If a chef falls it’s up to us as the management team to pick them back up and provide encouragement to continue in our kitchen. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to prove myself and believe others should be given that also.  It doesn’t always work out for all chefs who come into Midsummer House.  It might be their work ethic or our kitchen may not be for them.

Has Daniel influenced your style? Is it hard to find your own style? 

I’d say my style is very much that of Midsummer House. It’s what I have engulfed myself in for the last five years! Obviously every place I have worked along with every book I have read has influenced me throughout my career. I came to Midsummer House because I loved the food and still do! I think my style is trying not to overcomplicate things, making the flavours stand out and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

Do you think it’s important for young chefs to learn classical ways of cooking?

Yes, without a doubt. In Midsummer House we use water baths, thermo mixes and over high tect bits of kit. Although modern appliances, we use them alongside classical ways.  For example a hollandaise sauce is made over a bain marie. We would never think of putting it into a thermo mix as the chefs being trained need to know how to make it this way.

Another example is roasting whole duckling through the oven in butter.  These skills cannot be learnt by reading a book.  I feel it is very important and only fair for young chefs to be given the opportunity to learn these invaluable skills of their craft. 

What really stands out when you move into a Michelin environment?

Initially it was the amazing quality of ingredients which were being used.   Alongside this I noticed how much respect each chef gave the produce from when it comes through the door in the morning until it is served on a plate.  The discipline, manner, passion and amount of pride that people take in themselves is outstanding.   Everyone is striving to improve the quality and taste of all food produced, consistently plating each dish the same as the time before.

What are your plans for the future?

At the moment I’m very firmly at Midsummer House, I’ve only been head chef since November 2014.