that are most defiantly not. I know what these things are what is needed when developing a kitchen team and a restaurant, Andrew knows what makes me tick and I'm good at reading Andrew in the sense that we can have a short conversation and I know exactly what he's looking for.
And he must trust you implicitly as well?
Of course, he wouldn't let someone run his kitchen if he didn't trust them implicitly.
So what management areas have you improved in during your time here?
I think the main areas of improve
ment for me have been communication, man management and time management.
Obviously when you say man management from what we've spoken about earlier you seem to be, as I said, quite hands on working with the guys as opposed to being a dictatorial leader?
We speak to the guys we don't stand at the pass shouting and bawling. We don't get results that way. If we were to stand at the pass and shout and bawl then what we do wouldn't happen. There's a time and a place to stick your big toe up somebody's backside but there's also a time and a place when somebody needs a pat on the back or a cuddle.
What do you feel has been your single biggest challenge in your role since you've been here?
Lately it was kicking off the 2010 Scottish Chefs Conference in Glasgow. To cook and talk in front of 500 delegates was a huge challenge. I had to hold college students all the way through to seasoned hoteliers for an hour. Being able to keep them entertained and talk to them in a way that they could relate to what I was doing was tricky. It was scary but also an honour to be asked in the first place.
Was it difficult moving from sous chef to head chef? Did that worry you?
No that was easy. That first day was easy but when everything after the first day gets tougher becasue expectation grows and you have to keep growing with the expectation. Year on year the business grows. The people that have been here for ten years and the people that are going to be here for the next ten years have to grow with the business or the business doesn't grow.
You're very team-focused, we've picked up on that already how much importance do you place on the training and development of your team?
Absolutely massive. I mean there's no point in having a strong team for six months, you need to have a strong team when your doors are open. If you're open for nine years, if you're open for 25 years you need to have a strong team for that period of time.
What about yourself, how do you train yourself, how do you develop yourself?
Reading, eating, staging, experimenting with new produce and equipment.
Where do you see yourself in five years time and what are you looking to gain from your time here now? Where do you hope this period in your career takes you?
In five years' time where am I going to be? I genuinely believe I will still be here.
>>> Read: The Roux Scholarship winners: where are they now? (part 1)
