The magic ingredient

Can you please provide a brief overview of your career to date:
 
As a child my parents bought and sold pubs & hotels. I studied my NVQ’s  at Salisbury College and then gained a BSc 2.1 in International Culinary Arts Managements at Ealing University.
 
One year later I then gained a Michelin bib gourmand working at my parent’s pub. I went on to manage pubs for Wadworth brewery winning ‘Managed House Food Pub of the Year’ and ‘Wadworth Pie of the Year.’
 
How did you first get into food/cooking?
 
It started with me playing chef as a child at maybe 8yrs old. I would sauté potatoes in my Dad’s hotel kitchen and then take them through to the public bar below the hotel where all the old local guys drank and I would sell them to the bar customers as a snack.

When did you realise that being a chef/pub owner was the career for you?
 
I remember it was many years ago, whilst walking with my Dad from our hotel in Scotland to buy some light bulbs. I was holding his hand at the time and I vividly remember thinking/realising that the biggest building in the town was ours and that one day I wanted that too.

What are the highlights of your career?
 
We have won a lot of awards throughout the years so it’s difficult to name just the one. Getting into the Michelin guide was great but taking over The Shoe with Annabel, my partner and building that up has to be the best part.
 
When did you start using Major products?
 
My parents used them in their businesses when I was young and I just continued to use them in my career as they were such great products which has stood the test of time.
 
Which Major products do you believe are the store cupboard must haves?
 
I think the Chicken, Beef and Vegetable Stock Powders are essential but also the Beef Stock Paste can be found in a few of my dishes to add a real depth of flavour. There’s nothing else on the market like them and I couldn’t be without them now in my recipes.
 
What do you think are the best things about Major products?
 
I find that the Chicken Stock Powder gives a roundness on the tongue that you just don’t get anywhere else.  You do not get the high salt content with Major that you get with other stocks and bouillons.  What you get is a superb natural chicken flavour like no other. 
 
All the Major powders are great at adding depth in the flavour department. They add a finishing touch to take the dish to the next level and many of my customers comment on the flavours I produce.
 
How did you include them within your recipes?
 
Some recipes need that little bit of extra flavour. One of my dishes that the Major Chicken Stock Powder is really useful for is white puree, for example a cauliflower or celeriac puree.  The reason for this is because; it doesn’t affect the appearance of the puree and doesn’t make it too runny unlike others, as it’s a dry powder.

What made you want to open your own pub/restaurant?
 
It’s always been a dream of mine. I went to University in London and used the tube a lot. I used to see people going to work day in, day out in their office jobs dressed the same way as they would have been when they went to school. The only difference was who was making their lunch and this really affected me! The idea of working in an office environment where when you leave, the only person that notices is the HR department, bothers me.
 
I think running a great pub and being a chef is way more fulfilling. You can create memories, not just food memories but family memories too. You always remember the simple things like where you were when you had the best fish and chips!  I think in a round about way, that’s what we are all doing it for.
 
How is your menu inspired for The Shoe Inn?
 
Our menu at the Shoe, mainly comes from my training in classic British and French cuisine using  first class, quality ingredients.
 
Have you set yourself any new goals for the future – new sectors, openings, media work, more competitions like the Great Taste etc?
 
Huge amounts of re development with our pub,
 
Our next big project is Hampshire Pantry, our little farmers’ market style company making sauces and chutneys. In addition to our award winning chutney, we hope to have a peppercorn sauce stocked by several local shops.
 
What product were you nominated for in the Great taste Awards and how did you come up with this?
 
Hampshire Pantry tomato, coriander and black onion seed chutney.  We have made this chutney for a few years and it’s just naturally developed so I entered it to see what the experts would think
 
What was the outcome and what were your thoughts upon being nominated?
 
We won one star and it was a delightful shock
 
Do you have any plans for next year?
 
Yes, the next six to twelve months is very busy with lots of building work and trying to get our peppercorn sauce ambient shelf stable to sell in local shops