The Weekender Interview: Josh Eggleton
What image do you currently have on your phone’s wallpaper?
Standard Apple Background.
What was your first job?
The local chippy when I was 15.
Gordon or Marco?
Back in the day both, now just Gordon.
What was the last film you saw in the cinema?
The latest Star Wars Movie.
What is your guiltiest food pleasure?
Fried chicken thighs.
Where are you going on your next holiday?
Nepal at the end of April raising money and awareness for Action against Hunger, but that’s not a holiday.
What industry figure do you most admire (and why)?
Anyone who has the tenacity to work in this industry.
If you weren’t in restaurants, what would you do?
Work for myself doing something.
Biggest regret?
I don’t really have any.
Pet hate?
A dirty floor! And the sound of people brushing their teeth goes right through me.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
My red wine sauce is not a red wine sauce because it wasn't red.
Marmite: love it or hate it?
Love it.
Describe your cooking style in three words:
British, fresh, seasonal.
What country do you next want to visit?
Sweden.
Most overrated food?
Avocado.
Restaurant czar for a day – what would you implement?
Delete TripAdvisor and punish no shows.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
When you Google my name it still comes up really near the top - an old TripAdvisor review. You'll have to read it!
What made you want to become a chef?
I’ve always loved food and cooking.
What do you cook at home on your days off?
Really simple stuff. Pasta. Loads of veg.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Do stages in as many places as you can. Ask as many questions as you can. Work in as many kitchens as you can. Knuckle down.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
TOG Knife - these amazing knives, the blades of which are made in Seki (the samurai sword capital in Japan) but the designer is based in this little village just down the road from us at The Pony. Sometimes we drive up there for a new knife. Brilliant.
iPhone or Android?
Iphone.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My old man told me get a job or get out, that’s stuck with me.
What’s your earliest memory?
I'm about 4. Falling down the stairs. It fucking hurt.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
A pint at my local.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
Tipple of choice?
A cup of tea. I have about 10 mugs before 10 in the morning. That or ale or a dry sherry.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A whole roast chicken. Fish & Chips. Roast Beef. Amazing Sushi. Great noodles. Everything.
