Flash-grilled: Jack Bond

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Image: Lara Luis Photography
Image: Lara Luis Photography
The head chef at The Cottage in the Wood in Cumbria on hating pizza as a kid, owning your mistakes, and his brush with death on the Central Line.

What was your first industry job?
Pickled Walnut Event Catering when I was 16.

If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I’d be a police officer like my dad and brother.

What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Matt Abé and Mark Froydenlund. I’ve been lucky enough to work for both of them and they've had a huge impact on my career.

What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Loud noise.

What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I’m a vegan, but duck is OK.

Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Making the ingredients work hard, getting as much flavour and use from them as possible whilst staying close to nature.

What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
Giles Coren wasn’t too impressed when we opened Davies & Brook.

What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Make mistakes and own up to them.

Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
Mini whisk.

What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
American BBQ: brisket, grilled broccoli, Caesar salad, hot sauce.

À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Carters of Mosely.

What’s your favourite fast-food joint?
Five Guys

What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Tarte tatin.

MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu.

What’s the most overrated food?
Truffles.

You’re a restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Red Bull.

Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Keith Floyd, Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling.

What’s your earliest food memory?
Hating pizza.

Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.

What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Falling on to the Central Line track at East Acton.

Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Crafty Baa, Keswick.

What’s your tipple of choice?
Guinness.

What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Buffalo chicken wings and margaritas.

What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Mash potato.

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