Last year, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef award went to Irishman Mark Moriarty. In anticipation of 2016's search for the world's best young chef, we caught up with two of the competition’s leading mentors, Ollie Dabbous (of Dabbous in Fitzrovia) and Claude Bosi (most well-known for Mayfair’s Hibiscus). We talk young talent, kitchen nightmares and the ones to watch in this year's contest…
Hi both,
How did you get involved with S.Pellegrino’s young chef competition?
Claude: S.Pellegrino approached Kirsty Stanley-Hughes of KSH Management Ltd (who represents me) and I was really excited from day one. It is a great privilege to be able to give back to industry in this way, and hopefully be of help to these budding young talents.
Ollie: My agent [also Stanley-Hughes] asked me. It's a serious competition, nothing Mickey Mouse – and one I could fit into my schedule.
How important is it to find and nurture young talent? Do you personally mentor chefs in your own time?
C: It is very important – after all, they are the ones to carry on after us. I always take time with my team and give as much feedback and constructive comments as possible, to help improve their understanding and refine their skills.
O: It's a two-way street. If someone is keen to learn then I’m keen to teach them. Yes, it is the duty of a head chef to nurture the next generation of talent, but the drive, curiosity and love of food that needs to come from them. They are all things that can't be taught; you either have them or you don't.
Who were your big influencers at the start of your cooking career?
C: Alain Passard for his vision of food and simplicity and Alain Ducasse for seasonality, as well as his operational and management skills.
O: Raymond Blanc and Gary Jones at Le Manoir were the most formative. It was there that my basic skills and palette were developed because I didn’t go to catering college. Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place was also very supportive when I was just starting out.
Have they changed now?
C: No, they are still my biggest influencers.
O: Now, I just cook what feels right to me and luckily my customers seem to enjoy it. I'm still close to RB and hope I always will be. He's one of the good guys. We both are very busy but it's always fun to catch up with him. He has a lust for life and a big heart.
Traditionally, chefs worked in restaurants before setting up on their own. With the rise of street-food stalls and pop ups, many people are now opening restaurants without previously working in one. How do you think this has affected the industry – do you think it's a good thing?
C: I am not sure whether it is a good thing. By doing this, knowledge will be limited. You need to work in different places to gain different techniques and styles, to learn what works for you and what doesn’t. Books are useful for reference but do not help as such; they teach you how to reproduce, not create.
O: Basic training is key. People cook at home and may think cooking professionally is an extension of that. That is incredibly myopic – they are two different worlds. However, the fact people may now come into cooking with very different mindsets and skillsets brings a welcome sense of liberty and diversity. It's not just classic French training as a basis.
Do you think this change has made it easier or more difficult to ‘make it’ in the restaurant world?
C: Definitely more difficult, largely due to the amount of competition and choice people now have.
O: That really depends how you define ‘making it’: happiness, money, freedom of expression, balanced working hours, or all of the above? There are now more avenues than ever before through which you can make a living through food.
Who are the young chefs to watch for 2016/17?
C: Lee Westcott (The Typing Room), Merlin Labron-Johnson (Portland), Robyn Gill (The Dairy), John Freeman (sous chef at Sat Bains) and my head chef at Hibiscus, Francesco Dibenedetto.
O: I'll let you know once I've judged the competition!
What could be done to improve the conditions and support the wellbeing of young aspiring chefs?
C: We need to take our time in teaching them properly. We need to remember that they don’t have the same experience as people who have been in the industry for years have. They need to be looked after.
O: Our chefs all get three days off a week. The main thing is to allow people time to recharge and to instil a culture of mutual respect in the kitchen. It is fine to be demanding as long as you are fair.
Do you think being a chef is seen as a prestigious career choice over here and, if not, what could be done to encourage more young people to consider it?
C: Of that, I am not sure. Mainstream TV has given cooking a certain ‘look’ – what people don’t see are the long hours, hard work and determination day in and day out, which is the ultimate route to succeed. Aside from the competition, the reality of consistently filling an eating establishment is tough.
O: It is probably a trendier career choice over here and more prestigious in America. That's if you care what other people think of what you do as a job.
What was your best experience as a young chef?
C: To be part of a restaurant team who went from two Michelin stars to three (L’Arpege in 1996)
O: Getting a chef de partie role at Le Manoir; it was what I set out to do when I started there, and felt like the first professional goal I accomplished in my career. That recognition gave me a lot of confidence.
And the worst?
C: Nothing… Yet!
O: Before opening Dabbous, I couldn't find a head chef job anywhere that they would let me cook my own dishes. That was depressing.
Claude, you’ve recently reduced the working hours for staff at Hibiscus. What prompted you to do so? Ollie, do you have plans to follow suit?
C: I wanted to give them a balance between work and home life, as well as make ‘one’ team instead of people covering others’ shifts.
O: My staff already have three days off a week.
Any projects in the pipeline?
C: I am in the midst of opening The Swan Inn in Esher, which is a traditional British pub.
O: I'm just enjoying the things as they are at the moment. It's the first time in about four years I've been able to have some perspective: a stable team, regular customers and a constantly evolving menu.
On a separate note Claude, back in February the Financial Times reported that Hibiscus was looking for buyers. Is there any truth in this?
C: Everything is for sale in life and I would definitely consider any good offers. Rates and rents are always increasing – I have to be realistic about keeping options open.
Finally, what is your favourite restaurant in London at the moment?
C: The River Café.
O: I haven't had time to eat out much this year!
Thanks, guys!
Follow all the action of S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 right here