very basic in that way and let my food do the talking.
Did they enjoy being pushed out of their comfort zone, and how difficult is it to cook in the GBM kitchen alongside other chefs?
I think most of the chefs that are on Great British Menu or have been on it, would probably stand their ground in any kitchen anywhere in the world. But with the pressure of it being a competition, I think the pressure of the four or five cameras that are following you, can put you off your stride. It really takes time to adjust yourself. I’ve worked in many kitchens, I’ve even worked in a field full of cows but the pressure of the competition and the fact that the cameras are following you… that just makes it so much harder than working in any other kitchen!
How nerve-wracking is it to cook for your peers?
It was a wee bit scary buts it’s just another person that you have to cook for and they are going to be extremely critical about what you do but that’s what they are there for. They’re not just there to talk you down or to criticize, they’re also there to help you to improve yourself if you go further in the competition.
If you were scoring your dishes, would you agree with what your judge said or not? If not why not?
Yes and no, you always have different opinions about food. If I had another judge, maybe some dishes would have scored higher but then other ones may have scored lower. I think what they scored, in general, was quite fair. There may be one or two things I might have judged differently myself, but it must be a hard job for them to compare those three dishes every day.
Best and worst part of being on GBM?
My best bits? I don’t know, I really don’t know! We’ll have to see, you just don’t know how the BBC is going to edit it. One of the days, I had really good fun and I was enjoying myself and in the zone but surely, there are bits where there is a f**k or a shit! My mum will be disgraced!
There was a good atmosphere in the kitchen because the three of us got on quite well. We stayed in the same hotel after and we sat down for a few beers after the day. There was a bit of comradery, there was no jealousy, no hate towards each other.
There are, of course, moments that you’re in the shit but there are moments that you really enjoy yourself. You get used to the cameras after a couple of hours. It will all show on television though – I haven’t decided if I want to watch it!
Would you do it again?
I think I would like to do it again and come better prepared with the experience of having been in that kitchen before. I know the routine in the kitchen, I know the system that they use and I know what to be aware of now.
