Flash-grilled: Alyn Williams
What was your first industry job?
Working as a KP, then a chef (aged 16) in a place called Naughty Lunches just off Jermyn Street in London's St James's.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Pro snowboarder.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Raymond Blanc, just brilliant cook, mentor and friend.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Laziness and arrogance.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
Someone once asked me while I was at The Westbury Hotel if the owners let me write the menu, after four years of the restaurant having a Michelin star!
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Simple, eclectic construction with a deep connection between flavour, technique and delivery - I use inspiration from travel all the time.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
I ignore them.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
I could live without my Thermodyne, but I prefer not to.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Either a big family roast with plenty of good red wine, or pie and mash with stewed eels.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting… I love to try as many little dishes as I can.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
I’ve had many, but my first lunch at Le Manoir aged 21 was phenomenal and memorable. I can still taste the langoustine and tarragon bisque!
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Wasabi for a quick katsu curry and miso soup.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Thomas Keller’s oyster and pearls - simple, elegant, amazing.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
Both… they are so different.
What’s the most overrated food?
Krispy Kreme donuts… if you can call it food.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
No-shows without full payment.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Tom Jones - we’d sing, eat and laugh.
What’s your earliest food memory?
My dad's minestrone at about three years old.
Twitter or Instagram?
I’m rubbish with social media, but I look at Instagram more.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Getting my car stuck miles from anywhere in a snow hole at the top of a mountain pass between Colorado and Utah for 15 hours, just as the bears were waking up.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Seed Library at 100 Shoreditch hotel; and I play golf to relax.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Barbancourt Haitian rum or Glenfarclas whisky.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing?
Pie and eels with a cup of tea. Or Mersea oysters and Pol Roger champagne.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
I don’t really have a signature, but I consider a dish of tempura lobster with sweet and sour peppers and tom yum broth to be a favourite that I use over again.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Don’t be put off by the hard work. If you put in the effort, you will reap the benefits. And write everything down.
