Theo Randall
We caught up Theo Randall , host of the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards 2015.
Award winning restaurateur Theo is a familiar face on prime time TV, and recently published his second cookery book, My Simple Italian.
It is a pleasure to be welcoming you to Chesterfield to celebrate the towns food and drink businesses. What are your first impressions of eating out in Chesterfield?
“The awards are a great demonstration of how the food and drink scene in Chesterfield has evolved in recent years. It is now catering for many tastes, from authentic Japanese and Jamaican to Italian and Great British. The town has everything and is continuing to develop its hospitality scene.”
“Chesterfield’s food and drink scene is thriving; the strong field in the Best Newcomer category is testament to that. I commend all the finalists in this category knowing only too well myself, when I opened my first restaurant, Theo Randall at the InterContinental in 2006, the courage, commitment and belief in yourself it takes to set out and do it on your own.”
What’s your signature dish?
I have a few but our Cappelletti di Vitello with fresh Porcini sauce is a probably our most popular pasta dish at the restaurant and it is really delicious.
What are the four must-have food items in your store cupboard?
My favourite 4 items are Olive oil, dried porcini mushrooms, pasta flour and good quality sea salt.
What were the challenges you faced at the beginning of your career and what advice would you give to young people starting out?
The biggest challenge when you start out as a chef are the fact that the hours are long and you work at different times to everyone else. My advice is that if you love what you do you have to remain focused and never give up. Try and stay in each restaurant you work in for 2 years and don’t be tempted by quick promotions otherwise you will not develop as a cook and will lack technical skills that take time to develop. It’s always good to have a mentor.
What is it about Italian cooking that you love?
I love the fact that every region is different and has recipes that have been created from what is available locally. The recipes are always about the ingredient and getting the most flavour out of them. Simplicity is always key.
