Flash-grilled: Alex Reynolds
What was your first industry job?
I started out as an apprentice at the Princess Victoria in Shepherd’s Bush. It was a great gastro pub. We made our own sausages, black pudding and other charcuterie in house, and if I was ever curious about a dish or interested in trying something out, the head chef was always happy to put it on the menu and show me how it was made.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I can’t really imagine life without cooking so I guess being a stay at home husband would be pretty great. That way I’d have all the time in the world to cook for pleasure and experiment in the kitchen.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Definitely my wife, Maria Viviani. She’s the co-owner of our restaurant Eline and the backbone of the business. Without all her hard work and her insane levels of organisation, the restaurant would never have become what it is now.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
When someone doesn’t tell you that their station isn’t fully prepped and then you have to run around fixing everything during service. That’s a recipe for chaos and means you’re always on the back foot throughout. I like everything to be organised so that we can keep one step ahead, which means that these things need to be communicated!
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
I had someone say their favourite part of a dish was my cured ham, but it was a veggie dish so I was left a little confused. Glad they enjoyed it though!
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
A little refinery hiding a lot of butter.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
We had a couple give a negative review solely because I didn’t come out of the kitchen to say hi. They didn’t even mention the food!
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Work in places that excite you. I would always go and eat at a restaurant before I decided if I wanted to apply or not, it’s the best way to see if it’ll be the right environment for you.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
I’m not sure I’d survive without my favourite rocher spoon. It’s a little nerdy but it’s been with me for over eight years now and I don’t know what I’d do without it.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Maria’s lasagne. The secret ingredient is love (and seriously overspending at the Italian deli!).
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting! I always want to try everything on the menu and that’s the closest I can usually get. I’m going to Anthony Demetre’s Wild Honey St James in the next couple of months and the tasting menu there has got me really excited.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
I went to L’Arpège, which is a three Michelin star restaurant in Paris by chef Alain Passard, with my sous chef a few years back who was my flat mate at the time. It was without a doubt the best meal I’ve ever had, but cost so much that he had to call up his bank before they’d allow the payment! A once in a lifetime experience for sure.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Butchies for their fried chicken. There’s a Butchies near Old Street which I swing by a fair bit. I didn’t even like fried chicken until I had it from there.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
Sole Véronique. Grapes and fish is such a joyful combination.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
GBM for sure. It gets such a talented group of chefs cooking under the same roof and I love watching them get technical in the kitchen.
What’s the most overrated food?
I’m going to have to say caviar. It’s just so expensive.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
False allergens and people nursing a glass of water till way after 11pm when all my staff want to go home.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
All my geeky friends! I’ll happily spend the whole meal talking about the food in minute detail; it’s great when I’m with people that do the same thing and are happy to entertain my nerdy food chatter until the bitter end!
What’s your earliest food memory?
Spaghetti with a smiley face drawn on it with ketchup at my dad’s house.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
I worked in a call centre for a couple months before I started cheffing.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
I love having a couple pints with friends in a good pub near mine like the Scolt Head or the Rosemary Branch. Feels well deserved after a long few days in the kitchen!
What’s your tipple of choice?
I really enjoy beer. There are so many interesting ones out there now too so you can usually try something new whenever you go out.
What’s your favourite food and drink pairing (the more obscure, the better)?
Sparkling white with a spicy curry. It sounds odd but really cuts through all the spices and reinvigorates the palette.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Lemon tart. My old flat mate couldn’t eat lemon tart for months because of the amount of testers I made when I was trialling it, but it was definitely worth it in the long run!
