The chef, 52, on teenage cook’s tunnel vision, learning to say thank you to his staff and cooking egg tarts for the Queen, which thankfully she liked
Dad was always absent at home, he had no work-life balance. It gave me a work ethic like you wouldn’t believe as a student and worker. But I vowed that if I ever brought children into the world, I would be part of their lives. Dad retired, turned around, and found his kids were grown up. I never wanted that realisation.
As a child I was shy, a loner who did his own thing. I went to catering college, worked hard and flourished. Through my teenage years I pushed everyone away. I focused only on my cooking. I was selfish and self-centred; pubs, clubs and socialising felt like a distraction.
