Did you catch the cooking bug at a young age?
Well that’s a good question. Yes and no. From a young age I always loved food, especially my mum’s cooking, but she never used to let me in the kitchen. The real cooking bug came when I moved out and started my first job. I no longer had my mother around to cook for me, so I had to pick up the knives and teach myself. From this point I realised I had a serious passion for food, so I finished my studies as a dentistry technician and started a cookery course.
What foodie experiences do you recall growing up?
Fresh, high-quality ingredients and traditional family recipes. Growing up on a farm, I was surrounded by the freshest and finest ingredients – especially the best milk and cheeses – which I’d say deeply influenced my foodie experiences. I developed a deep appreciation for good quality and quite simply fresh ingredients. As children we absorb these things, like a sponge, and it’s something I instil in my cooking to this day.
When did you first seriously consider a career in cooking?
It was completely unplanned, I would never say there was a eureka moment or that it was even a decision. Everything just fell into place. I needed to cook for myself, I loved it, I started a course and it’s been an adventure ever since.
