Flash-grilled: Robbie Lorraine
What was your first industry job?
After school, I worked in a local family-owned restaurant called Castillo. It really gave me a feel for the type of place I’d like to have myself one day. Eating out should always be about comfort. This places instilled this in me very early on.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
As a kid I wanted to be an astronaut as I always wanted to go to the moon, so guess I’d be out wondering the galaxy. But, in reality, if I wasn’t chef I’d like to think I’d be doing something creative - quite possibly photography.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
I think what Paul Ainsworth has done down in Padstow with multiple restaurants is very inspiring, he seems to have created a real family feel to his business and seems like a fantastic mentor to his team.
What's your pet hate in the kitchen?
Messy workers or more so people who don’t tidy up after themselves
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
If I wasn’t married, I’d marry you!
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Modern British with a touch of nostalgia
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I'm not sure I’ve had one yet. Keeping my fingers crossed...
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Get your head down, be prepared to work your socks off and you will achieve your goals. It goes without saying that now is a tough time to be in hospitality but stick with it. The sky is the limit.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
A Thermomix is easily the most versatile piece of kit in my kitchen, so I think it would have to be this
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
I would have loved to have eaten at the El Bulli before it shut its doors. So for my last meal, I would pick a 49-course meal prepared and cooked by Ferran Adria and his team! Failing that, a good old Lancashire hot pot would do me!
À la carte or tasting menu?
It really depends on the restaurant and the mood I’m in. I think there is a place for both.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Petrus in2002 when it was still at James St. It was my first experience of Michelin star dining.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Great British Menu all day long
What's the most overrated food?
Jersey Royals – they just taste like mud in my opinion
What’s your earliest food memory?
My mum’s Sunday roast lamb. Whenever I’m roasting lamb bones for stock it always brings this memory back to me.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
About five or six years ago, I was a couple of months into a new job and was pushing so hard that I completely run myself into the ground and ended up with pneumonia – I was in hospital and on a ventilator for week.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
I don’t really buy into the idea of a ‘signature’ dish to be honest, I like them all for different reasons. Right now, I’m getting really good feedback on our lobster donuts and duck eclairs.
