Flash-grilled: Steven Ellis
What image do you currently have on your phone’s wallpaper?
A photo from my wedding day.
What was your first job?
Kitchen porter at a local bar in Birmingham.
Gordon or Marco?
Marco.
What was the last film you saw in the cinema?
Avengers: Endgame.
What is your guiltiest food pleasure?
Cadbury Dairy Milk.
Where are you going on your next holiday?
San Francisco.
What industry figure do you most admire (and why)?
It has to be Clare Smyth. I worked for her for such a long time, and I like the way she lets the food speak for itself.
If you weren’t in restaurants, what would you do?
Ice hockey player.
Biggest regret?
Stage fright.
Pet hate?
Whistling in the kitchen.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
A customer once visited and said they don’t like game or meat… that’s what we specialise in!
Marmite: love it or hate it?
Hate it.
Describe your cooking style in three words
Classic, modern, and British.
What country do you next want to visit?
America.
Most overrated food?
Foie gras.
Restaurant czar for a day – what would you implement?
Eating more game.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
A guy on TripAdvisor who said he got food poisoning from a venison burger, despite the fact we don’t even sell them.
What made you want to become a chef?
I’m a perfectionist and I like working within a team.
What do you cook at home on your days off?
Ramen.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Focus and be prepared to work hard.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A chef’s knife.
iPhone or Android?
iPhone.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Never give up and keep pushing.
What’s your earliest memory?
Paris with my mum.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
A walk around Windsor Great Park.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
Tipple of choice?
Jack Daniels.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Venison wellington with a black truffle mash.
