to take part in the competition side of the culinary world. I find it keeps me on my toes, and I get to see and meet other great chefs from the industry.
How was it creating the dishes for this year’s theme?
I loved it. I thought this year’s brief was great. The Queen’s era, and within her reign, wow! It played a great part in my dishes and my Journey creating them to suit the region and the food.
Had you worked with Adam (Reid) or Matt (Worswick) before?
I have never worked with Adam but had seen Matt from last year’s Great British Menu. I thought both of the guys were brilliant. They’re both such passionate chefs.
Matt Worswick, The Latymer, Pennyhill Park
Matt began his chef career at The Crofters Hotel in Lancashire before moving to the Michelin-star St. Martins-on-the-Isle on The Isles of Scilly, working with Kenny Atkinson where he achieved a Michelin Rising Star award in 2007. He has since gone on to secure his place as a semi-finalist on BBC MasterChef: The Professionals in 2010 and most recently a regional finalist representing the North West in BBC2’s Great British Menu 2015.
It's your second GBM appearance - why did you want to do it again?
I suppose it’s good exposure. I’ve watched the show for 10 years and last year was good so I thought why not.
Have you learnt anything from your first experience that helped this time around?
I suppose just to be yourself. You can’t go on there and try and be something that you’re not, it kind of brings out the best and worst in people but if you’re just yourself I think you get a true representation of who you are.
And like I said, it’s good exposure so as long as you come across as yourself people will get to know you a bit more.
If you’re comfortable you’re going to cook the best food but it’s always going to be a difficult scenario to be in.
What did you find most difficult?
The competition itself is quite difficult and being judged on national TV isn’t easy. The pressure to be on that side of things is tough, you just have to confident with the food you’re cooking I suppose.
How did you find working with Adam (Reid) and Kim (Woodward)?
They’re really professional chefs and it’s nice to be working with such high calibre chefs. They have a great reputation in their own right and who they have worked with before. That was always going to be a challenge but it was great to see how different people work and certainly under those circumstances. I really enjoyed it actually, it was great.
Did the brief push you out of your comfort zone?
I don’t suppose it pushed me out of my comfort zone because you had to cook with what you’re comfortable with. I enjoyed the brief because it was right up my street with the style of food that I cook and I’m very passionate about British food and ingredients.
It was a really good brief to cook for and it wasn’t necessarily out of my comfort zone because it fitted my style of food anyway.
Having done it twice would you do GBM again?
I don’t know, it all depends and I guess it depends on whether they ask me as well. The show is evolving all the time and so wherever I do it again I suppose I just have to cross that bridge if it came to it but I guess doing it twice is enough exposure for anybody.
I think now I would like to concentrate on the restaurant a bit more rather than going off and doing TV which is great for business but it takes a lot out of your time because you’re thinking about it all the time and practicing so my priority now would have to be the restaurant.
