King of the castle
How did you get into food development?
I wanted to go into hotel management and travel, but for some reason I got stuck in a restaurant kitchen. My Dad went mad because it was only supposed to be a summer job and I never went back to school afterwards.
Is the new product development process speeding up or slowing down?
Speeding up - we've almost got too much going on at McCain! We've just launched the Alternatives range, the Sides and Starters range and we've also been working with Fullers to create flavoured coatings.
What made you enter the manufacturing industry?
After years of working unsociable hours in the restaurant and hotel industries, it was a natural progression to move towards manufacturing. Because McCain were trying to understand their foodservice customers better, they wanted a chef rather than someone from a manufacturing background.
What kind of work do you do on a daily basis?
I often visit a company's kitchen facilities to gain a better understanding of the business. Sometimes I just have to use common sense - for example, some firms don't use fryers, so we won't get their business if we present them with a fried product.
Providing firms with accurate cooking times is also important. All schools seem to be using different ovens, so it's no good giving people a generic answer.
What's your favourite part of the job?
Every day is different and you always get to meet new people. It's great if you can help them to solve a problem - though they often need convincing before they follow my suggestions. Even basic advice, such as telling someone to wash their potatoes before preparing them, can come in handy.
What's been the highlight of your career so far?
I used to work at Skibo Castle in Sutherland, where I once had to cook fish for the late Queen Mother. It was right after the papers reported that she'd recently had a fish bone lodged in her throat. I was so worried about it happening again that in addition to filleting her fish, I mashed it all up to check there were no small bones and then covered it in sauce!
Have you ever cooked for any celebrities?
I met lots of celebrities working as a chef at Ackergill Tower in Caithness (pictured left). Jack Nicholson was staying there once and he stuck his head around the kitchen door and asked if he could eat his meals in the staff quarters as he didn't fancy sitting in the main dining room. Of course we didn't mind, so he sat at a table with all the kitchen staff instead of mingling with the other celebrity guests, which included the likes of Michael Douglas!
What are your thoughts on TV chefs?
Chefs have become celebrities and I don't know if that's good or bad. People have become more aware of flavours, but sometimes they are misinformed and they think they know how something should be cooked when they don't.
Hell's Kitchen is a good TV programme because it shows people how it's done. FM
