Where are you originally from? – Leeds, born and bred. I spent a lot of time moving around the country training and learning from some of the finest chefs but its great being back home When did you first become interested in cooking? – At 15 when at school. I blame Mrs Oldroyd, Christmas 1985 in home economics. She sent me to the shop to buy a choc roll and a lot of different festive decorations and then taught me to ice the roll and decorate it creating a yule log. She then asked me if I’d ever considered cooking, and to be honest I hadn’t and I doubt I would have if I hadn’t been asked the question at that moment…the rest is history… Who was your biggest inspiration? – My dad was always a huge inspiration in my life but in the cooking world it is Marco Pierre White and that was even before I worked with him. As I was leaving college at 16/17 he was just coming on to the scene and I remember he won the Sunday Times ‘ newcomer of the year’ award for Harveys. What changes have you seen, if any, in the way the restaurant world has changed? ie have peoples tastes changed, do people expect more nowadays etc..? – Have you got long…so much has changed! When I first started nouvelle cuisine was just on its way out so I saw that and then the British revolution with MPW, Gary Rhodes and to some extend Gordon Ramsay. People do expect more now but that change came when the recession hit and it continued so it’s up to us to keep pushing the standard of the food, using incredible ingredients and the front of house team to make the service the best it can be and that’s exactly what we are doing here at Malmaison. What has been your biggest success to date? – I’m 46 and still going so my biggest success has got to be the fact that I have kept myself enthusiastic and driven. To me service is like a war and I want to be at the front leading the charge. What’s the must try dish on your menu? – Scallops, pancetta, pea puree and morels. I love scallops and the combination of flavours is nothing new, it’s tried and tested and it just works. What would be your tip for upcoming chefs? – Listen. Listen to everything you are told when you’re in the kitchen. Whether its praise or constructive criticism it’s all guidance and instruction that will develop you. What are the 3 main components to running a successful restaurant? – Consistent staff, its so important to have a steady brigade who will gel together and work as a team.Originality, you have to keep it fresh, keeping one step ahead of the trends. We do classic dishes here but its our own interpretation, making them modern. Customer relations, you’ve got to have amazing personalities on the floor who can wow the guests and give amazing hospitality What do you hope people think when they’ve dined at Malmaison? – That they’ve had a good meal, good value and they thought there originality in what we do. Finally, If you could summarise, what do you believe good cooking is all about? – Understanding heat. It is amazing what heat and a piece of meat can achieve.