April Lily Partridge: “As a woman in this industry, I have to be strong”

Congratulations on being named Chef to Watch. You seemed very surprised to have won, did you not have any inkling beforehand?

I really didn’t. I never think I have a chance at any of these things. It’s all a bit mad to be honest. A few people had told me I was in with a shot of winning after the Roux Scholarship, but I didn’t think there was any way I would. I was just really chuffed to be nominated.

You brought your dad with you to the awards. Has he always been a major figurehead in your career?

Yeah, it was really special. I hadn’t been to the National Restaurant Awards before, and it was the first time taking my dad to one of these events. My mum has always been in the industry and worked as a catering manager and my stepdad is a chef, and they often come with me to these sorts of things. My dad’s a plumber and has always been huge supporter of my career, but he’s not been in that world, and it was amazing to share it with him and experience that moment with him.

You also won the Roux Scholarship this year, becoming only the second woman to ever do so. Was your success there equally as unexpected?

Yes. It was my first time entering the competition. I’d thought about it before, but I suffer from terrible anxiety and never had the confidence to take part. I’d competed in National Chef of the Year a couple of times, and been in other cooking competitions, but I’d never won one. And that had hugely dented my belief in myself. I didn’t think I could compete with the calibre of chefs like Oli Williamson and Ian Scaramuzza who had won it before and thought there was no way I could win. But this year was the last year I could do it as I was about to turn 30, and people like Oli and Ian had been pushing me to take part, so I went for it. I was gobsmacked just to get through to the regionals and then the final. Even after the final cooking was done, I didn’t think I had a chance. And so then winning it was absolutely mind blowing.

I’d imagine cooking for the likes of Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr must be very stressful…

In hindsight, I think the format of the competition suited me as a cook better. I’m very much someone who reacts well to coming up different dishes on the spot and thinking on my feet, rather than practising a recipe over and over again as you do at other competitions. It came down to cooking from experience and your heart, and hoping you have enough knowledge behind you to create something delicious.

You mentioned having terrible anxiety. How do you control that when working in a high-pressure kitchen?

I put on a good front, I guess. I act very strong in the workplace. I know that as a women trying to make ground in a male-dominated industry, I have to be strong. And if I’m going to be a senior chef in establishments like The Ledbury, I have to put that extra 10% in or I will be walked over. But the reality is that when I’m struggling it isn’t the people at work that see that, it’s my family and my partner and my friends. And they’re the ones that pick me up when I’m down, so I can go to work and show my strength.

Presumably having a good team around you is crucial to feeling confident in the workplace?

Absolutely. Brett [Graham, chef-patron at The Ledbury] is a key part of that for me. I had a few years that were really tough, particularly during the pandemic. I was in a bad spot and on the edge of just quitting cooking entirely, and it was Brett that supported me through those times. That’s why I feel so overwhelmingly loyal to him; he’s been there when things are amazing, and when they were tough, and he’s never given up on me. Having a boss you respect and that cares for you is so imperative to your success and the success of the restaurant, and that’s what I have at The Ledbury.

What made you want to be a chef?

I loved the camaraderie of working in the kitchen. I never had a huge interest in food, and then I did my work experience in a restaurant at 15 and I loved it. Over the years I’ve been so lucky to work with amazing teams, like at The Clove Club. They really showed me that this is what I wanted to do with my life. You’re like a family. And all of those people that you work with become your brothers and sisters and that stays with you as you progress in your career. Hospitality is a massive industry, but also such a small world – and I love that.

You’ve had a hugely successful year, what’s next for you?

I’m very content at The Ledbury at the moment and I definitely think I’ll be there for another year or so. My heart is there, it’s my home and Brett will forever be my favourite chef in the world. And when the time comes to part ways, it’ll be a really hard thing for me to do. But when the time is right, I expect to locate more towards Kent, which is where a lot of my family is based. I would love to have my own place. Maybe something that does an amazing fine dining offer. I also love the idea of doing a bakery, and I’d like to have a casual spot where families can come for pizza and gelato. Time will tell what avenue I go down. I’m really excited for the Roux Scholarship as even though I’m cementing my path through the industry, I haven’t quite figured out the end goal. This is my chance to really think about that.