Flash-grilled: Ben Murphy
What was your first job?
A newspaper round.
What is your guiltiest food pleasure?
Chocolate eclairs or a strawberry trifle.
What’s the best restaurant meal you’ve ever had?
The Ledbury.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Gordon Ramsay. He has always been a highly respected chef with three Michelin. I’m a big fan of his Boiling Point videos as well as his philosophy on the industry.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I think I would be travelling the world.
What is your biggest regret?
I don’t think I have any regrets.
Pet hate in the kitchen?
Double dipping the same spoon.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I have had customers ask for my number which is pretty odd.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Burnt Clementine from The Clove Club; it looks and tastes incredible
Describe your cooking style in three words
Fun, playful and tasty.
Most overrated food?
Caviar.
Restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Mobile phones.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
A customer complaining about portion size… forgetting the number of free extras we give.
If you could cook for anyone in the world who would you pick, and why?
Michel Guérard. I worked with him for a year and think he is a legend.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Focus, stay determined and try to work for the chefs you aspire to be like.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A spoon.
What do you cook at home on your days off?
I like simple food when I’m off, like pasta, pizza or a simple roast.
What’s your earliest food memory?
My parents weren’t adventurous in the kitchen, so my earliest memory is probably chicken dinosaurs and potato smiley faces.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
You should cook food you love to eat, otherwise what’s the point?
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I got jumped on the way home after work one evening.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Not really a specific place, I’m most happy when at work in the kitchen.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Mac and cheese.
