An interview with Andrew Turner

Introduction

Andrew Turner is the new executive head chef at London’s Café Royal and the chef who brought the `grazing concept menu` to London.

Having learnt from the masters including Albert Roux and Anton Edelman, Andrew created his own new style `the grazing concept` which he has mastered and made his own – and has since won many awards. Andrew describes his cooking as Contemporary European `A deconstruction of classic food followed by a reconstruction of those same ingredients, but in a contemporary style.

Throughout his career Andrew has consistently employed his culinary skills to raise funds for charity and in 2000 instigated an annual dinner prepared by many top chefs which raises funds for the Leukemia unit at Hammersmith Hospital. Andrew is also an ambassador for St John’s Ambulance.

Andrew`s television appearances include BBC Saturday Kitchen, Ainsley’s Gourmet Express, Yes Chef and BBC Food Poker, he also recently consulted on the BBC 2 programme `Whites`. Over the years Andrew has cooked for celebrities, prime ministers and rock stars. In his spare time he is a keen Chelsea football supporter and also enjoys extreme sports including skydiving.

We recently had the chance to interview Andrew about his own personal development within the catering and hospitality industry as well as about his thoughts on where the industry is heading.

About Andrew

• What inspired you to become a chef?

My family are extremely good cooks and love nothing more than spending the day in the kitchen and sharing the experience around the table. When I left school and visited my first catering college it was the whole look, the buzz, the uniform and smell of the kitchens that really made me feel, “yes – this is the career for me”.

• Where was your first head chef role?

After college I moved to France and re-sat all my exams in French before coming back to London as a young chef and began working with some of best in the business, such as Albert Roux, Rory Kennedy, and Anton Edelman.

I worked as a consultant for Albert as part of the opening team at Hanbury and The Grand in Amsterdam – a 5 star luxury hotel in the heart of the city where we won many awards. That was my first Executive head chef role and working with Albert made it a dream job.

I then went on to work as Executive Head Chef at the Berkley, Raffles Browns, Penny Hill Park, Bentley Kempinski and then re-opened The Langham.

• Why did you move to the Café Royal?

I felt they had a real vision for the hotel, the new facilities are stunning and they had a brilliant attention to detail.

I think I am also at the right point in my career to help them achieve their ambitions and to be part of making the hotel London’s leading venue once again. We have some of the highest profile people staying here. We also have the right management structure and team to allow me to give them my best.

I am “old enough to be old and young enough to be young”. The brand we are developing has one aim, to be simply the best. There is no middle ground and this really made me feel that I would be valued as part of the team.

• What is your pet hate?

Lavender and over complicating things.

• Favourite ingredient?

Scallops – cooked simply – simply the best.

• Favourite dish to cook?

I guess I am best known for my mango eggs on toasted brioche (and you can find Andrew’s recipe here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mangoeggwithtoastedb_92671) which I have cooked all over the world for different guests.

• Favourite dish to eat?

I think that would be veal Holstein which is a veal escalope with a fried egg, capers, and anchovy fillets and we finish ours with a sweet soy Beurre noisette.

• Favourite piece of kitchen equipment?

That would have to be the MKN Flexi Chef®. It really is a great piece of kit because it allows us to do multiple tasks but is technically easy to operate. So although it’s really clever it doesn’t over complicate things when we’re cooking under pressure. We can use the different zones to cook 4 things at different temperatures.

That and my Green Egg indoor barbecue. That will stay at 400 degrees all day and give us a great smoky flavour to anything we cook on it.

• Best moment in your career so far?

It’s a highly guarded secret that will be announced very soon – in fact it’s two highly guarded secrets that are unrelated but really exciting new projects I am working on.

I am also very proud of introducing “Coin de Piccadilly” cheese to the UK. I have since developed with Premier cheese a version of the cheese washed 61 times in Absinthe, which fits in really well with the whole history of Café Royal.

• Worst moment in your career?

I think that was when I heard that Browns had been sold. I had worked there for 4 years and we had built up a brilliant hotel. I had nothing against the new owners but you just know that when a venue like that changes hands, the new team will want to put their own stamp on it.

• What’s your top tip for people joining the industry?

If you’re great at football and love playing it then you still need to practice every day if you’re going to achieve your full potential. Cooking is the same, you have to practice and learn every day whatever level you are at. It’s a profession where you can make a real name for yourself and there is no better feedback than an empty plate of food.

• If you could go back and tell 18 year old Andrew Turner something what would it be?

Know your own value – don’t underestimate yourself and believe in what you can achieve and drive your goals without fear.

About the industry

• Where do you feel the British food industry is today?

It’s in a good situation. We have had a tough time economically but that can be a good thing as the poor venues tend not to survive. The industry is also waking up to the fact that investment in good quality training, front and back of house is vital to our success.

People are interested in the industry as a career and with that we need keep improving our training and development structures across the country.

• What future trends do you see?

A totally paperless kitchen with greater use of technology.

• What challenges face the industry?

As mentioned there is a great void in well trained personnel and this will hold us back if we don’t start filling it soon. We will have 7 or 8 apprentices here by the end of the year and everyone needs to work together on this. We have the volume of people willing to work in the trade but not the quality yet.

• Where are the best kitchen designs?

In my opinion Spain, Switzerland and Italy lead the way. They have far more eye level ovens avoiding the need to bend down to retrieve items from ovens under the range. Everything you need is close at hand including the refrigeration units. There has been some real time and motion studies done on these layouts and I can see this will influence our designs in the future.

• If you could design a new piece of kit what would it be?

A Teflon plancha with replaceable affordable tops.

• Where is your favourite restaurant?

I know I’m biased but the Grill at the Café Royal is brilliant for light suppers and tasting food. The décor is stunning and the sharing plates are simply sensational.

• Who are the industry leaders?

I don’t see there being one or two leaders but there are a lot of chefs leading the way. TV programmes like Great British Menu are good too, it’s not pretentious and the cooking is pretty advanced. That and favourites like Saturday Kitchen will hopefully help inspire the younger generation of today to eat and cook as a family which is the most important thing.

• Who are the ones to watch?

Life’s too short to be watching others; I just concentrate on being just the best I can.