Flash-grilled: Ashley Chipchase
What was your first industry job?
Street food market, Brick Lane! We threw ourselves in the deep in with no experience, no processes. It was very chaotic!
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
I would probably still be doing my old office job.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
Roy Choi – he really started the food truck revolution. The way he merged food and social media to create a create a community is a huge inspiration for us.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Poor communication.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
“Is this pork halal?”
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
Feel good innovative street food.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
There is always a solution to a problem. Don’t let the problem consume you. Take a step back and think: “How can we solve this.”
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
Our stick blender! We produce a lot of sauces.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Tasting menu of all my favourite dishes (is this cheating? Haha). If I had to choose one, though, I’d probably go for a Vietnamese dish called bun bo hue.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu every time!
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
Los Dazantes in Oaxaca was amazing. But I recently went to Hakushu Teppanyaki in Tokyo, which is this little family run restaurant. A little old lady serves up wagyu beef in what feels like her living room. That was the best meat I have ever eaten in my life.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
My love for fried chicken came from Morley’s in Brixton, however, at the moment I constantly have a craving for Five Guys!
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef.
What’s the most overrated food?
Nando's. I know I'll get a lot of hate for that.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Moaning.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Anthony Bourdain.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Watching my mum host dinner parties and cook feasts for big groups at our house.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
East London Liquor Company. They have a couple of cocktail wizards in there called Ryan and Siggi who are always coming up with new and exciting drinks. I love sitting at the bar and hearing what they’ve been up to.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Old fashioned or mezcal negroni.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Our Korean-inspired chicken wings.
