Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef - About

Hello, What's This "About" Blog?

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No - this isn't really a stand-alone blog about me. It's an appendix of my food blog: Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef containing various pages that are about my upbringing, education and training as a chef. These are in a separate file because they have a different format from the main section.

That's why this looks odd - it's not meant to be read chronologically but as a series of hyperlinked articles. It would be best to check out my food blog, but you are very welcome to browse here if you want.

Contact Me

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Much as I'd like to be able to publish my address and phone number for the benefit of genuine people who would like to get in touch, I'm afraid that the world's population of fraudsters, spammers, burglars and inebriates make that impossible. But do get in contact with me via email by clicking on the graphic top right. I also have a presence on Facebook which is restricted to established friends. Look me up as Aidan 'Trig' Brooks. Please be patient as my working hours mean I can't always respond to emails immediately, especially at the busiest times of the week, namely Friday and Saturday. As well as visiting my blog, why not also pay a visit to my Flickr site, where you can find all the photo sets used on the blog and a few more besides. Unfortunately my YouTube account was suspended some time ago as I wasn't always fully compliant with copyright regulations when trying to promote and support other peoples' work, so you can no longer contact me there. All in all there are plenty of ways to get in touch with Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef.

Navigating Around My Blog

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Hello and welcome to my food blog. I'm Aidan Brooks, a 22-year-old chef from the East End of London. I graduated from Westminster Kingsway College in summer 2007 with a Professional Chef Diploma and emigrated to Barcelona, where I trained at two of the city's best Michelin-starred restaurants. In 2009 I moved to the Community of València to join the team of Paco Morales, Spain's "Chef of the Year 2009" at Juan Carlos Ferrero's Hotel Ferrero, where I was appointed Pastry Chef. This year I returned to the place of my birth to be part of the exciting project to start up a fine dining restaurant in the East End. I'm now taking a break for a while, before my next adventures in cooking.

(or "home" on my navigation bar above) to go straight to my latest posts. Otherwise, follow the individual links below (or the links in my navbar and sidebar) to specific parts of my blog.

This year I returned to my roots in the East End of London where I'm running a kitchen section for Nuno Mendes at his exciting new venture, Viajante, at the hotel which was formerly Bethnal Green Town Hall. I started blogging in August 2006, before starting my final year at college. My blog traces my progression from amateur home cook to the professional fine dining chef that I am today. It's brought me into contact with many wonderful people - home cooks, foodies and gastronomes, food writers and fellow professional chefs. And some people who have fundamentally altered the course of my development. I try to repay some of the support I've received by helping others - especially young people from non-privileged backgrounds - to appreciate food and to develop careers in this amazing business.

A Bit About Me And My Training To Become A Chef

(or "about me" on my navbar) to visit the part of my blog where I talk about my background in Hackney, how I studied at Junior Chefs' Academy at Waltham Forest College as a 15-year-old and how I prepared for life as a student chef. In this part of my blog (or "where i'm at" on my navbar) I talk about my formative years, describe what life was like at Westminster Kingsway College studying for a Professional Chef Diploma, why I migrated to Barcelona to train at Carles Abellan's Comerç 24 where I first became a chef de partie, to Martín Berasategui's Lasarte and Francisco Morales' Restaurante Ferrero.

(or "work experience" on my navbar) for information about the restaurants where I learned to cook, starting with Restaurante Lanútus in Laúndos, near Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal and Joy Authentic Indian Cuisine in Hackney - and progressing to The Landmark Hotel and The Providores & Tapa Room in Marylebone and to Zuma and Boxwood Café in Knightsbridge. There are also links to the restaurants at which I've worked in Catalunya, where I trained at La Gigantea at the Hotel Mas Passamaner in Reus and at Comerç 24 and Lasarte at the Hotel Condes, both in Barcelona, before moving to Bocairent in Valencia to work with Paco Morales at Restaurante Ferrero and eventually returning to London to become part of the startup team at Viajante.

for my People And Places section, where I talk about the people who have influenced me as a young trainee chef, including Jafoor "Ali" Ahmed of Joy in Hackney, Professor Cyrus Todiwala MBE, restaurateur at the incredible Café Spice Namasté in Aldgate and Peter Gordon of The Providores & Tapa Room in Marylebone - the man whose cooking changed my view of food completely and irreversibly. Not forgetting the brilliant chef Nuno Mendes of Bacchus in Hoxton, within walking distance of the house where I lived all my childhood. More recently, Albert Adrià of Inopia and lately of El Bulli and Paco Torreblanca of the Torreblanca pastry empire, both of whom I had the honour to cook for recently. I'm also pictured at the celebration party when we won our Michelin star at Comerç 24 and outside every gastronome's Mecca - the Adrià family's unique, amazing El Bulli.

Post topics

As well as being able to read my latest blog posts on my home page, you can navigate back to earlier posts by clicking on "Older Post" at the foot of the main home page section and forward again by clicking on "Newer Post". But because there are over 300 posts on my blog, I've created archives that allow you to find what I've posted by topic. These clickable links are in my sidebar to the right.

Professional work

My former college

Experimental cooking

Classical home cooking

Food items and snacks

Food news & reviews

Restaurant reviews

Food movies and books

Food markets & shops

Celeb chefs & TV

Friends & family

Food blogging & writing

Video clips

(or "videos" on my navbar) for an index to posts that are based around or include video clips that I've either made myself or borrowed from elsewhere. There's a wide variety of clips including ones of me with foodie friends, videos made in college, edited clips from TV cookery programmes, foodie film clips and a host of others. I host most of my video clips on YouTube, where one of them has received almost a million hits. It's the wonderful Richard Dimbleby with his 1957 April Fools' Day spoof "The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest". This and many other video clips were selected for their humour.

Restaurants

(or "restaurants" on my navbar) for the restaurants section of my blog, where I talk about the great places in which it's been my privilege to dine. Eating is a tremendously important part of learning to cook - it sharpens the palate, inspires creativity, establishes a framework within which to judge your own cooking and sets goals for your future achievement. In this section of my blog you will find my review of dining out in Barcelona and links to my posts about the great restaurants I've experienced, including El Celler De Can Roca in Girona, Cinc Sentits in Barcelona, Mugaritz in San Sebastián and Quique Dacosta in Dénia.

Recipes

(or "recipes" on my navbar) for my recipes section. I'm not really into recipes and if that's what you are looking for there are far better blogs than mine, such as Elise Bauer's Simply Recipes. In the pro kitchen, new dishes are documented as dish specs, but this is more for costing purposes. We have to learn every detail of each dish - there isn't time to refer to recipes during prep, let alone during service. When cooking at home, I use my knowledge of produce, my kitchen techniques and my palate to produce dishes. If I use a recipe, it is only as a guide - with the exception of baking, where ratios are all-important. I've documented some of the dishes that I prepared at home, mostly while still living in London, and I've produced photo recipes showing how you can make these meals yourself.

Herbs and spices

(or "spices" on my navbar) for my spices section. I had to suspend work on this not long after I started due to pressure of exams, but I've been gradually getting it up to date during the past couple of years and the first phase is now complete. Here you will be able to find information on many different spices, with a spice index, a spice overview table that lists each one and provides a summary of characteristics and main uses and tables sorting spices by family group and by dominant flavour.

The spices that I've written up are:

Ajwain, Allspice, Almond, Angelica, Anise, Annatto, Asafoetida, Barberry, Basil, Bay leaf, Bay leaf, Indian, Bay leaf, Indonesian, Bergamot, Boldo leaf, Borage, Bush tomato, Camomile, Capers, Caraway, Cardamom, black, Cardamom, green, Celery, Chameleon plant, Chaste tree, Chervil, Chicory, Chilli, Chives, Cicely, Cinnamon, Chinese, Cinnamon, Indonesian, Cinnamon, Sri Lankan, Cloves, Coconut, Coriander, Bolivian, Coriander, common, Coriander, long, Coriander, Vietnamese, Costmary, Cress, garden, Cress, water, Cumin, Cumin, black, Curry leaf, Damask rose, Dill, Epazote, Fennel, Fenugreek, Fenugreek, blue, Fingerroot, Galangale, greater, Galangale, lesser, Gale, Garlic, Garlic, bear's, Ginger, Grains of paradise, Horseradish, Hyssop, Juniper, Kaffir lime, Kewra, Kokum, Lavender, Lemon, Lemon balm, Lemon grass, Lemon myrtle, Lemon verbena, Lime, Liquorice, Lovage, Lovage, black, Mace, Mahaleb cherry, Mango, Marjoram, Mastic, Mexican pepperleaf, Mugwort, Mustard, black, Mustard, white, Myrtle, Nasturtium, Nigella, Nutmeg, Olive, Onion and shallot, Orange, Oregano, Oregano, Mexican, Pandanus leaf, Paprika, Paracress, Parsley, Pepper, black, white, green, red, Pepper, cubeb, Pepper, long, Pepper, negro, Pepper, pink, Pepper, Sichuan, Pepper, Tasmanian, Pepper, water, Perilla, Pomegranate, Poppy seed, Pumpkin oilseed, Purslane, Rice paddy herb, Rocket, Rosemary, Rue, Safflower, Saffron, Sage, Salad burnet, Sassafras, Savory, Sesame, Southernwood, Spearmint, Star anise, Sumac, Sweet clover, Tamarind, Tansy, Tarragon, French/Russian, Tarragon, Mexican, Thyme, Tonka bean, Turmeric, Vanilla, Wasabi, Wattleseed and Zedoary.

My Australian Gastronomy Project

A key part of my Professional Chef Diploma involved a study of the gastronomy of an allocated country and the formulation of a three-course gastronomic menu suitable for a top restaurant. The second stage was to research the national cuisine and its historical development and to justify the menu recommendations, leading to a detailed report, a presentation and a practical. I was allocated Australia and I learnt a huge amount about Australian history, culture and gastronomy.

(or the link in the "topics" section of my side bar) for my report on the developing cuisine of Australia. My thesis was a controversial one - that two centuries and more of racial division in Australia was the principal factor retarding the development of the national food culture. But it's not all bad news, because I discovered the amazing world of New Australian cuisine, drawing on the best of techniques and products from the settler and indigenous communities as well as from the outside world.

In this section of my blog I publish my college report in four sections, including my Australian Gastronomy Menu, along with links to other posts I've published about Australian food.

Other bits of my blog

I've covered almost all of my blog in this brief tour, but there are a few other bits floating around which you might like to visit. If you can read Portuguese, click here to read about my Portuguese "extended family". My CV can be found here, along with information about my school results, my qualifications, my references and the countries I've visited.

Food events in the UK for May 2010

At the foot of my home page is the UK Food Bloggers' Association Calendar, with links to some the key food events in the UK during May:

Alde Valley Spring Festival across the Alde Valley, East Suffolk
3 Harbours Seafood Festival at The Greenbelt, Prestonpans, Scotland
Baishakhi Mela in Weavers Field, London
Bath Coffee Festival in the city centre, Bath, Somerset
Big Apple Blossomtime in Much Marcle, Herefordshire
Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre at The Ampitheatre, Bristol, Somerset
British Asparagus Festival in and around the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire
British Sandwich Week across the UK
British Tomato Week across the UK
Catering & Hospitality Forum at Whittlebury Hall, Towcester, Northants
Christchurch Food And Wine Festival various venues around Christchurch, Dorset
Coeliac UK Free For Tea? across the UK
Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling at Cooper's Hill, nr. Brockworth, Gloucs
Cranbrook Flour Show at Union Mill, The Hill, Cranbrook, Kent
Dales Festival Of Food And Drink in Leyburn, Wensleydale, N. Yorkshire
Derbyshire Food & Drink Fair at Kedleston Hall, Kedleston, Derbyshire
Derbyshire Food Festival at venues across Derbyshire
English Wine Week across England
Evening Of Kentish Food at Amos Hall, The Market, Ashford, Kent
Fal Fish Festival at Discovery Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall
Festival Of Food - Tickle The Taste Buds in Stokeinteignhead, Newton Abbot, Devon
Flavours of the West at Milsom Place, Bath, Somerset
Foodies Festival on Hove Lawns, Hove, East Sussex
Foodies Festival at Hampton Court Palace, Surrey
Free Range Pig In A Day at The Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk
Fruity Friday across the UK
Get Into Artisan Baking at The School of Artisan Food, Welbeck, Notts
Get Into French Baking at the School of Artisan Food, Welbeck, Notts
Gourmet Wild Food Weekend at the Fat Hen, St Buryan, Truro, Cornwall
Henley Food Festival in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Introduction to Beekeeping at St Paul’s Church, Clapham, London

Leek Fine Food Spring Fest at The Market, Leek, Staffordshire
Letchworth Food Festival in Letchworth, Hertfordshire
Loch Fyne Food Fair in Clachan, Cairndow, Argyll, Scotland
London Food Link Spring Network Do at Lumen Cafe, Tavistock Place, London
Ludlow Spring Food Festival at Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, W. Midlands
Making Local Food Work for People and Planet at Friends Meeting House, Manchester
Manchester Food and Drink Summit at the Ramada Hotel, Piccadilly, Manchester
National Bread Week across the UK
National Escargot Day various locations across the UK
National Honey Week across the UK
National Real Bread Maker Week across the UK
National Vegetarian Week across the UK
National Watercress Week across the UK
Normanby Hall Food Festival at Normanby Hall, Scunthorpe, S. Humberside
Parkland Alfresco Food Festival in Swinton Park, Masham, N. Yorkshire
Power to the Farm at Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucs
Randwick Cheese Rolling in Randwick, Gloucestershire
Real Food Festival at Earls Court 1, S. Kensington, London
Royal Windsor Food and Drink Festival in Home Park, Windsor Castle, Berkshire
Slow Food Cornwall Bread Day in Ladock, Cornwall
Southport Food and Drink Festival in the town centre, Southport, Cheshire
Spirit of Summer Fair in Olympia Grand Hall, S. Kensington, London
Streatham Food Festival various locations in Streatham, London
Taste Of Edinburgh at Inverleith Park, Edinburgh, Scotland
Tewkesbury Food & Drink Festival on Vineyards Playing Fields, Tewkesbury, Gloucs
Torquay Food And Arts Festival in Market St., Torquay, Devon
Watercress Festival in Alresford, Hampshire
West Wales Food Festival in the National Botanic Gardens, Carmarthen, Wales
Wild Food Taster Day at the Fat Hen, St Buryan, Truro, Cornwall
Wrexham Food Festival behind the Library, Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales
Yorkshire Game Fair at Harewood House, Leeds, W. Yorkshire

to learn more about these calendar events.

About Me

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Hi. I'm Aidan Brooks, aka. "Trig", a 22-year-old professional chef from Hackney in the East End of London, England. I spent the past two and a half years in Spain, training with some of the country's top chefs. In 2007-8 I was a chef de partie in Carles Abellan's Michelin-starred Barcelona restaurant Comerç 24. In Spring 2009 I took a two-month stage at Martín Berasategui's now 2* Lasarte and then joined the kitchen team of Paco Morales - Spain's Chef of the Year - at Hotel Ferrero in València, where I was appointed Pastry Chef. This Spring I've returned to the East End to run a kitchen section for Nuno Mendes at his exciting new venture, Viajante.

I've had a love of food and been cooking and enjoying eating it for as long as I can remember, but when I was about eight years old I first got it into my head that I'd like to cook for a living. In 2003, aged 15, I registered at Waltham Forest College to take part in their Junior Chefs' Academy. Every Saturday morning I got up early and made the bus journey across East London to attend the college. By the time I graduated in Spring 2004 I knew that there was only one future for me - becoming a professional chef.

My parents were not exactly enthused at first. Both my mum and dad are university graduates and my older brother Joel was at uni studying for his B.Sc. in Business Economics when I announced my intentions. So it wasn't easy for mum and dad, but they told me that if I was going to pursue a career as a chef there would be two conditions. The first condition my parents set was that I should obtain GCSE results good enough for 'A' levels and university admission later if I dropped out. I knew this would never happen, but I worked hard at school and exceeded the 5 Grade A-C results that were needed, passing all 9 of my exam subjects at these higher level grades.

The second condition was that if I was going to become a chef I should aim for the top. "Don't you dare end up working at... [well-known fast-food restaurant]"..., my dad said. He explained to me that the reason why kids brought up in Hackney were often less successful than those elsewhere was not because they lacked ability, but because nobody set high expectations for them, so they ended up setting low expectations for themselves.

I never forgot this lesson. You can't guarantee you'll get to the top, but you sure as hell can give it your best shot. And that's what I've done ever since.

If you want to find out more about me, you can find all sorts of stuff about what I'm currently doing and how I got there, some famous alumni of my catering college, places where I have gained work experience, my Portuguese "extended family" and some places I've been and people I've met during my life as a trainee chef. I've also provided other personal information including my CV and references, the countries I have visited, the restaurants I've eaten in and my favourite kitchen utensils.

If you click here, you'll reach a page that will tell you more about how to navigate around my blog.

Where I'm At

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In July 2007, I graduated from Westminster Kingsway College after completing the final year of a three-year NVQ course and being awarded a Professional Chef Diploma with Merit. I chose WestKing because of its reputation as the best catering college in Britain and I was not disappointed, although it was a very demanding course. After graduation I spent the summer deciding where to start my professional career.

Many of my fellow students elected to follow a traditional path and select a Michelin-starred restaurant, cooking Modern European cuisine. But I'd always been more interested in more innovative fusion cooking, drawing on processes and ingredients from across the globe to create a style of food that transcends regional cuisine.

It seemed to me that the most adventurous and exciting food of my generation was - unlike the food of the previous generation - to be found not in France but in Spain. Leading that revolution were the Nuevos Cocineros de Barcelona - a group of creative chefs most of whom learnt their trade with Ferran Adrià at the world's #1 rated restaurant, El Bulli. And of all those chefs, the one whose menu impressed me most was Carles Abellan of Comerç 24. When offered a 3-month training stage, I had no hesitation in accepting. From October 2007 to November 2008 I was in a small, open kitchen as a small part of the amazing team at one of Europe's most adventurous restaurants. The irony was that, just seven weeks after I started at C24, it was awarded its first Michelin star!

At the end of my three-month stage, I was fortunate enough to be offered a one-year contract to remain at Comerç 24 and I accepted without hesitation. I could probably have earnt more working at Dunkin' Donuts, but that was hardly the point. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to learn in this environment, amongst great chefs and serious foodies, working at the edge of creativity with modern food. How many people can honestly say that they are doing exactly what they've always wanted to do... and getting paid for it? Then in late May, after five months on professional contract, I was promoted to chef de partie - responsible for running the cuarto frio (cold larder) section of the restaurant. It was an honour completely beyond any expectations I had when I set out on my Catalan adventure just eight months earlier and one I have worked hard at to justify the decision to trust me with such a level of responsibility.

I completed my contract at Comerç 24 before Christmas and took a well-deserved rest break during which I sampled several restaurants as a customer - including the wonderful El Celler de Can Roca. In January 2009 I started the next leg of my journey, taking on a paid stage at the Michelin-starred Lasarte in the Hotel Condes de Barcelona. That stage was extended for a second month and I was told that were it not for the current financial situation I would have been retained on contract (later in the year I was thrilled to hear that Antonio Sáez and the team had won their second Michelin star). I was also delighted to be offered a new contract at Comerç 24. But I needed to develop my career in new directions and in April 2009 I successfully trialled for a three-month stage with Spain's most exciting young restaurant team - Paco Morales and Rut Cotroneo at Hotel Ferrero in the mountains of València. Ten weeks later I was offered a contract as Pastry Chef, which in a Spanish kitchen means chef de partie of the postres (desserts) section. From May to late November I enjoyed working hard as part of a great kitchen team, before deciding it was time to move on and widen my experience elsewhere.

With the recession hitting the Spanish hospitality industry particularly hard, it wasn't easy to find a suitable opening, although eventually I was invited to trial at an exciting new restaurant in one of the most glamorous locations in Barcelona. But by then I'd already made a commitment to return to London and surprise my friends and family by taking up a job in the East End, where I was born. Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes had been making a reputation for himself in the East End for years, first with his "fine dining in trainers" restaurant Bacchus in Hoxton and more recently with his private dining club, The Loft, in Hackney. I'd known for some time that he was planning a new restaurant in Bethnal Green, but when I saw for myself what was about to be launched, tested the dishes and met the kitchen team, I knew this was where I wanted to be. So I became part of the startup team at Viajante in Bethnal Green as the chef de partie for the cold section, helping to get the place up and running and to take it through soft openings. It was a thrill to cook for some of Britain's top chefs while I was there, most recently Claude Bosi of Hibiscus.

Ironically, although I originally moved to Barcelona in order to develop my passion for fusion cuisine, while I was there I actually developed in the opposite direction. As former seafarers and conquerors of much of the Mediterranean, Catalans are not afraid of new ingredients and techniques and their cuisine is certainly open and eclectic. But Catalan gastronomy - even the most innovative and radical - is firmly rooted in local culture and tradition. Working with Catalans and Valèncians has taught me the importance of drawing on the local culinary culture and sourcing the very best seasonal produce as locally as possible - while maintaining a global perspective and not becoming an obsessive locavore. And, as I've eaten in more and more Michelin-starred restaurants, I've come to realise that they are not all boring and conventional establishments. The best of the places I've eaten - El Celler de Can Roca, Lasarte, Cinc Sentits, Quique Dacosta... are all Michelin-starred.

Right now I've decided to take a short break from fine dining and from blogging. But I'll be back!

Click here to see my photo diary of one day in my life as a third-year student at Westminster Kingsway. It will give you an idea of just how long my working day was and all of the activities that I packed into that long day. Hospitality is a tough career choice - my current job involves two shifts (with a siesta in-between) totalling over ten hours of work per day.

I was lucky to experience quite a lot in the formative years of my life, because my parents worked hard to give my brother and myself plenty of opportunities to try things out. We both did a lot of sport when we were young and that taught me the importance of always turning up on time and trying hard even when things aren't going well. I never quite reached the football standard of brother Joel, who trialled at Under-16 for England, but I was goalkeeper for one of the most successful ever teams in the Waltham Forest league in East London. Click for information about my youth football team Apex Arvendale FC.

Both mum and dad were brought up in relatively poor families and missed out on many things that they were later able to give their own children. But they always understood the difference between the price of things and the value of things, so they never held back when it came to making sure we had valuable experiences. Now they are more comfortable financially, I don't feel guilty suggesting visits to top restaurants as presents and we've enjoyed a few such family outings, including to Midsummer House (right). They promised me a table at El Bulli to celebrate graduation, but for one reason or another it didn't happen. Now that I've worked for Ferran Adrià's former sous chef and made quite a few contacts in Catalan fine dining, it's more likely that I'll be taking them to El Bulli.

My early travels around the world taught me that the planet is a very small place where we don't all have to be the same, but if we don't all get on with eachother we all sink together. I want to reflect this in my cooking.

I have enormous respect for national and regional cuisines and for classical cooking that has proved itself over the years. Food is an integral part of national and regional cultures and should be protected and developed in the same way that art, music and language should be. But as planet Earth becomes smaller and more closely integrated by the day, I want to help everyone to experience the very best of the planet's culinary offerings. In that sense, global cooking continues to turn me on. Kiwi chef Peter Gordon summed it up when he wrote in A World In My Kitchen: "There are many chefs cooking beautiful, authentic regional food... I love to eat it but I don't want to cook it... The world as a whole excites me more than a region defined by political boundaries."

Here is my CV as a .pdf file and you can look up my references for any further enquiries. Trig.

My Love Of Food

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I have a love of food and cooking that grows stronger with each passing day. It began way back when I was just five or six years old and helped mum to bake fruit tarts. By the time I was eight years old I knew I wanted to cook professionally. Home cooking, plus my experience at Junior Chefs' Academy taught me to cook traditional fare competently and helped to develop my palate. Travelling around Europe expanded my understanding of flavours and textures, so by the time I went to college full-time in Autumn 2004 I had a good basis from which to develop.

At college, I learnt the basic techniques of my trade, following the classical French gastronomic school. But I also met chefs from very different culinary backgrounds and my vision of food was greatly expanded. Working alongside Daniel Crow, Antony Worrall Thompson, Raymond Blanc, Gary Klaner and Stuart Gillies taught me a huge amount - but working with Cyrus Todiwala and Peter Gordon really opened my eyes to the wonderful and diverse global village of food.

After college I moved to Barcelona, to work with chefs who had developed their own skills in the kitchens of Ferran Adrià. I learnt some of the skills of molecular gastronomy and how they could be employed to make simple dishes into exciting adventures. At the same time, I learnt about the importance of reflecting one's cultural heritage in what one cooks, as well as the absolute importance of locally-sourced top-quality ingredients and perfection in execution.

At the same time that I'm learning to be a chef, I'm also studying the very different job of becoming a successful restaurateur. I don't want to be like a footballer whose career ends and who then suddenly decides to become a manager. I want that transition to be carefully planned and as smooth as possible. One day when I'm ready, I will open a restaurant and make my own modest contribution to the progress of world gastronomy. I've already had an introduction to professional writing with some pieces for The Guardian and I'm sure I shall be writing and broadcasting on culinary matters one day.

Later on, when I've developed my own career, I want to do everything possible to help young chefs make careers in the industry just as I did. I owe a great deal to many fantastic people who have helped me and I look forward to passing that help on to the next generation. All they will need is a genuine love of food. It was all I brought to the table when I started out in this truly extraordinary business - and it was all that was needed.

Places Where I Have Trained And Worked

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For my detailed CV, click here.


2009: Restaurante Ferrero by Francisco Morales & Rut Cotroneo, Hotel Ferrero, Bocairent, València	2010: Viajante, Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green, London


2007: La Gigantea, Hotel Mas Passamaner, Tarragona, Catalunya	2007-2008: Comerç 24, Barcelona, Catalunya (Michelin 1*)	2009: Lasarte at the Hotel Condes, Barcelona, Catalunya (Michelin 2*)


2006: The Providores & Tapa Room, Marylebone, London	2006: Zuma Japanese Restaurant, Knightsbridge, London	2006: Boxwood Café, Knightsbridge, London


2005: Gabrielle's Restaurant, Westminster, London	2005: The Vincent Rooms, Westminster, London	2006: The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone, London


2004: Restaurante Lanútus, Laúndos, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal	2005: Joy Authentic Indian Cuisine, Hackney, London	2005: Café Spice Namasté, Aldgate, London

People And Places

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A world-class pastelero

For several months during 2009, I was privileged to be employed as the pastry chef at Restaurante Ferrero, responsible for the postres (desserts) section. Based a mere 42km away in the town of Monòver in Alicante is a man who many chefs and gastronomes assert to be the world's leading pastry chef - Paco Torreblanca. So although it wasn't a surprise when he stopped in for a meal one day, it was certainly a massive honour for me to cook for this giant of the profession. He shook my hand and told me that if I decided to make pastry my career path, I should come and train with his team one day.

The grandson of bakers and pâtissiers, Paco started work in a bakery at the age of 13. A year later his father sent him to Paris to apprentice with Jean Millet, a friend from the Spanish Civil War who had become one of France's greatest pâtissiers. After Franco's death, Torreblanca returned to Alicante, married Chelo Coloma and moved to Elda. In 1978 they opened Totel and a decade later, Paco was named Best Master Pastry Chef of Spain and was awarded the European title in 1990. International recognition came with elaborate sugar sculptures made in tribute to Pablo Picasso - causing him to be called "The Picasso of Pastry". Paco has won numerous prizes for his confectionery creations - including a 7ft masterpiece combining olive and pumpkin seed oil, dark Tanzanian chocolate, hazelnut mousse and Marcona almonds for the wedding of Felipe de Borbón y Grecia, heir to the Spanish throne.

A very special place

For Muslims, it's Mecca. For Buddhists it's Kapilavastu. For those with incurable ailments, it's Lourdes, for Jews the Wailing Wall, for Orthodox Christians the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, for Catholics the Portuguese village of Fátima. Many people across the planet of different ethnic groups, faiths and communities have somewhere special in their lives - somewhere they seek to visit one day on a pilgrimage.

For chefs and foodies, its the tiny hamlet of Cala Montjoi, over the mountain from the town of Roses and down towards the sea. There you find a restaurant that isn't even open for half of the year. But when it is open, it's our Mecca, Lourdes, Bethlehem and Fátima all rolled into one. I've not managed to eat there yet, but when I found myself with a few days to take a holiday on the Costa Brava recently, I wasn't going to miss out on the photo opportunity. This is me with my friend and fellow chef Michael, at the global epicentre of contemporary cooking, El Bulli.

A very special customer

I'd just taken a two-week break in London, the first paid holiday of my professional career as a chef. It was Tuesday lunch - my very first working shift back at Comerç 24 - when this man walked into the restaurant and sat down to eat. Service was in full swing, the kitchen was busy and I didn't notice this particular customer at first. The order was called and I sent a tartare à la carte to the pass. The tartare wasn't special - it was prepared with the same passion for food and attention to detail that we apply to every dish. But the customer was very special. If you don't know who he is, let me tell you something about him.

Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat in 1969, he dropped out of school as a 15-year-old to join his elder brother in the kitchens of a restaurant in a village near Girona. He rapidly developed an interest in pastry-making and after a decade of training and practice became a great pastry chef. So much so that his first writings on the subject were honoured at the Périgueux 1998 World Cookbook Awards - alongside such celebrated culinary best-sellers as Teresa Barrenechea's The Basque Table, Wayne Gisslen's Professional Cooking and L'Atelier of Alain Ducasse.

He now owns and manages the small tapas bar Inopia on Tamarit in the Sant Antoni barrio here in Barcelona. Modelled on the original L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris, it's an understated and friendly tapas establishment serving top-class produce beautifully prepared in classical Catalan fashion. And it has earnt some great reviews, which is not particularly easy when your family name and reputation precede you and set expectations of a far more experimental and exclusive fare.

If you still don't know who my lunch visitor was, he and his older brother Ferran own El Bulli, this week nominated world #1 for the third year in a row by San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants. The culinary revolution that began there two decades ago is the reason I'm in Barcelona today.

The Fat Man cometh

It makes no difference whether your whole professional life is geared towards winning one, or you think they are just a membership ticket to an exclusive club that you have absolutely no desire to join. Whatever you think about winning a Michelin star before it happens, you feel completely different when it happens. If that sounds pretentious, then I apologise. But some chefs strive their whole lives without recognition or reward, whereas I'm fortunate in having been just 20 years old when the restaurant in which I was working was awarded its first star. I can't claim to have been any part of the award, of course, as I'd only been employed there for a few weeks. But I'm incredibly proud of myself for having selected Comerç 24 as my first post-college training ground from 1,100 miles away. I put a lot of effort into studying the gastronomic scene in Barcelona and my researches came up with this place as somewhere likely to succeed. So here we are on Tuesday 20th November 2007, celebrating our Michelin star with some very fine Catalan cava. In the photo: Tony, Ian, Marc, Oli, me, Carles Abellan, Julie, David, Michael, Nadia, Cynthia, Jordi, Marta, Arnau, Antonio, Jordi and Danny.

Nuno Mendes @ Bacchus

People often remark that they have spent years searching far and wide for things that they eventually discover on their own doorstep. No, I haven't fallen in love with the girl next door. But, on the eve of my departure to Spain to live and work in Barcelona, I discovered an exceptionally good chef practising his culinary arts within walking distance of my home, at Bacchus in Hoxton. It was a real pleasure walking home after eating his food.

Nuno trained with Ferran Adrià at El Bulli and specialises in ultra-slow sous-vide cooking using a Gastrovac machine. His dishes, while not always perfect, take gastronomy in Britain to a level rarely if ever seen outside of The Fat Duck. Nuno balances pure competing flavours and textures with an delicate hand, producing just the sort of dish that I want to serve one day in my own restaurant. And more importantly, he does it with the same philosophy that I've already decided is fundamental to my own approach to food, evolving each dish continuously. Nuno Mendes knows how to reproduce classical music on the plate, but essentially he is a jazz musician always seeking to extemporise and develop his work.

Unsurprisingly, not everyone agrees. Writer and broadcaster Tom Dyckhoff reported: "Absolutely, without a doubt, the worst meal of my entire life. Yep, lovely staff, nice looking place, but inept combinations of flavours, ineptly cooked, vastly expensive. Like El Bulli done by Rodney Trotter." Oh well, a critic aptly named I suppose.

Peter Gordon @ The Providores & Tapa Room

When you first start training to become a professional chef you have no idea where it will take you.

Will you will eventually become Head Chef in a large hotel, or will you raise the funding and open a small bistro of your own? Perhaps you'll become a patissier? Or maybe you will travel the world as private chef to someone rich and famous. My early years of training were a slow process of trying to figure out what turned me on in the world of food and what didn't.

By June 2006, after experiencing work at The Landmark and Gabrielle's, I felt that I was ready to look for a new work experience. With the aid of the Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland and many hours of research on the internet, Dad and I drew up a list of over 150 British restaurants and we researched the chefs and menus of each of them.

For me, one chef stood out from all the rest. He was far from the most decorated in the profession - listed in the Michelin Guide but as yet unstarred. But the moment I discovered his website I knew I'd found exactly what I'd been searching for.

Writing to Peter Gordon to ask if I could come and work with his team at The Providores & Tapa Room, I said: "I found [your menu] was very different to that of most of the menus I came across; all of the dishes seemed extremely original, creative and adventurous, using diverse and interesting combinations of ingredients and techniques."

A couple of weeks later I was delighted to receive a response inviting me to spend some time working at the Marylebone restaurant... and the rest is history. I had a fantastic time working at Providores and the things I learnt in that brief period of time I'm still applying constantly in my cooking today. Two weeks after my first visit to that small restaurant kitchen my future path was set - I was utterly inspired by the prospect of drawing on the best of the planet's diverse cuisines to create new and adventurous eating experiences to help bring people across the world closer together. I had become a would-be fusion chef!

In a world when so many top chefs are caught up in the system and find themselves pressured into copying each other's dishes, Peter Gordon has dared to remain himself. He is a man with a global philosophy and the honesty and integrity to put it into practice. I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to work alongside Peter and I look forward to repeating the experience one day.

The BBC Festive Good Food Show & The Restaurant Show

One of the exciting aspects of studying at Westminster Kingsway College is the field trips that the college organises for its students. Each year WestKing participates in a number of hospitality shows in the UK, including The Good Food Show and The Restaurant Show.

Students from the college run catering facilities at these and other shows and often participate (with great success) in culinary competitions. And we get to perform the mis en place for celebrity chefs who give public demonstrations at the shows.

This often means that we are up on stage in front of a public audience - a great introduction to working in with the media later in life!

In December 2005 I took part in The BBC Festive Good Food Show in Earls Court, London, in support of celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc and Jean-Christophe Novelli, in the IKEA Christmas Kitchen.

This Master Chef turned up to give a demonstration and found himself without a suitably sharp chef's knife, so I lent him my Wüsthof. A few minutes later, this happened. Ouch! I do hope he was fully insured.

In September 2005 I attended The Restaurant Show at London's Olympia. In this photo wine connoisseur Oz Clarke and I both look a bit worse for wear, but you can be assured that the wine tasting was purely for professional reasons and I did spit it out after tasting, of course. Well, most of it at least!

Someone else who I admire a great deal and was privileged to meet at The Restaurant Show was Giorgio Locatelli. I've met him twice now and he always finds time to say hello and give encouragement to young chefs like me.

One of my Christmas presents the other year was Giorgio's beautiful book "Made In Italy" - the story of his upbringing, tales of food sourcing and cooking recipes from Giorgio's home country. Reading this book and looking at the superb photographs with which this book is jam-packed just makes you want to cook and to eat!

Two men who helped me get started

I owe a great deal to these two men.

Professor Cyrus Todiwala MBE (left), who lives near my family home in Hackney, gave me my first experience of a top-class professional kitchen. During the summer holidays 2005, Cyrus was kind enough to allow me to gain work experience in his Michelin Bib Gourmand listed Café Spice Namasté in Aldgate, learning alongside his excellent Head Chef Babar Salim. It was through Cyrus that I had my first media exposure.

Jafoor "Ali" Ahmed (right) owns the excellent Bengali restaurant "Joy" in Broadway Market. In Spring 2005 Ali gave me my first ever real work experience in his kitchens. It built my confidence to write to other chefs and broaden my experience... and I've never looked back since!

Last but not least

And last, but not least... I love Portugal and its food.

Find out how I came to love Portugal and speak Portuguese and read a few thoughts of mine about the food of northern Portugal.

Enjoy!

A Day In The Life - A Photo Diary

2007-10-14T01:00:00.000+02:00

This is what a typical day was like for me as a 3rd-year student on the Professional Chef Diploma course at Westminster Kingsway College. In Years 1 and 2 there was plenty of classroom work, leading to the hygiene, health & safety and other training certificates required for work in a professional kitchen. The third year, however, is focused on practical cooking. I hope this diary doesn't put anyone off their ambition to become a professional chef. It's very hard work, but well worth it in the end!

06:15

Zzzzzzz...... Brrrnnngg!

Blissful sleep is disturbed by the jarring sound of the alarm clock.

You can't really see Tower Bridge from my house at sunrise, but it's only a mile or so away.

I roll out of bed, wander upstairs and run a bath. We've got a deep roll-top bath and the boiler is old and lives in the basement, so it struggles for 15 minutes to give me the hot water I need in the morning.

The delay provides an opportunity for me to check my email and any comments on my blog. If I need to mail or post responses I do this afterwards, while getting dressed and ready to set off for college.

No matter how busy I am I always find time for a bowl of cereals and milk. It's so important to start each day with some breakfast, especially if you can add some fresh or dried fruit to it.

My final task before setting off is checking my college bag, which I always pack very carefully the night before.

06:20

07:00

It's a large bag - and it needs to be. Most days I have to bring a chef's jacket and trousers, an apron, cloth, chef's hat and neckerchief and there's often other things depending on what rotation I'm on (butchery, larder, etc).

There's plenty of clothes washing to do in our house each week!

During term-time I can store my knives and shoes in my locker, but at beginning and end of term I have to transport these as well.

My journey to college takes me right across London from the East End to the West End and beyond to Victoria.

I start with the bus from Hackney down to the City, to catch the underground train (we Londoners call it "the tube") at Liverpool Street station.

With the security issues in central London, I always keep my Craft Guild of Chefs card handy, just in case my bag is searched by police and I have to explain why I'm carrying a large set of knives.

07:15

08:10

The tube takes me across town to St. James's (near Westminster Cathedral and Buckingham Palace), from where it's a five minute walk to college in Victoria.

Most days I arrive at Westminster Kingsway College a bit after 8am. Sometimes I get some extra sleep and start later, but when I'm directly supervising 2nd year students I have to get in before 8am.

Hospitality is a highly disciplined profession and it's very important to set a good example to your subordinates.

The first task of the day - and the most important - is to light the college kitchen stoves and ovens.

At home it probably takes you no more than a few seconds to switch on your electric oven or light your gas oven.

In the Brasserie kitchen we have 10 ovens and this job takes a lot longer. Each 3rd year Chef de Partie is responsible for their own ovens, but whoever is acting Head Chef has overall responsibility for the lot. Discovering that the ovens are cold just as you are about to start cooking lunch would be very embarrassing!

08:15

08:25

On the left you can see "The Vincent Rooms" - Westminster Kingsway's restaurant facility that we run as part of our practical work.

The Brasserie and Escoffier Room (dedicated to the man who popularised French haute cuisine) are open to the public and offer brasserie food and fine dining respectively, at very reasonable prices. At the moment I spend most of the day cooking in the Brasserie kitchens.

So next time you're in London why not pay a visit for lunch or dinner? You might even find that Trig is your Head Chef.

When mis en place is in full swing I can't stop to take a photo, so you'll have to use your imagination to picture us all fully engaged in the business of food preparation and cooking.

Typically, six 3rd years and ten 2nd years will be working here, prepping the ingredients and cooking the different components of the dishes for the restaurant menu.

10:00

13:00

By this time, lunch at the Brasserie is in full swing. On a busy day we can serve up to 120 covers (seated customers) in lunch service, but most days we have between 20 and 65.

Here's a picture of me plating up the dish "ravioli with a wild mushroom and madeira jus" at my starter section.

I don't do a great deal of classroom work now I'm a third-year student, but I still have some kitchen management and gastronomy classes with my lecturers that involve me paying a visit to this part of the building.

When there's a lecture in progress the room will obviously be full, but I just sneaked in and set my camera to auto-shot in order to take this photograph to show you what the lecture room facilities at Westminster Kingsway are like.

15:00

16:10

Most days I get out of college shortly after 4pm, but sometimes I have to stay until quite a bit later.

When that happens it means by the time I get home it's hard to find time to eat, relax, do my blog and get packed for the following day.

A brisk 5-minute walk from college takes me back to St. James's Park tube station for the one-hour journey back across London to Hackney.

Home again and ready for the evening's activities.

When there's project work or coursework to be done, this has to take priority.

Tuesday and Wednesday nights often mean football because my team Chelsea is in three different competitions.

Sometimes I go to Stamford Bridge with my friend Carl on a Saturday, but weekday evenings means a trip to the pub to watch the match on Sky Sports.

17:15

18:30

I try to get new blog postings out early in the evening. This is much easier now I plan many of my posts a day or two in advance and get things into draft early.

If I had to write everything in real time I would find it impossible, so I admire those bloggers who manage to do this regularly.

The world stops for Hollyoaks which is on Channel 4 TV every night. It's the only soap that I watch.

The photo will help to explain why (shame she's now left the programme).

This is the time when I cook. Those evenings when I have course work to do I make something simple. I might make baked potato with cheese or stuffed pasta with sauce.

When I have more time, I cook something more adventurous and take photos of the stages of preparation and cooking for the blog.

I know some students who cook during the day but never cook at home, but I simply can't understand this. I love to cook and to eat!

19:30

21:00

Apart from project work, I also have to fill in my City and Guilds folder daily, documenting each dish I am responsible for under its appropriate syllabus units.

I also have to produce dish specification sheets listing ingredient quantities and cookery methods. Sheets like these are produced by Head Chefs in large professional kitchens so the purchasing staff know what to buy and the Chefs de Partie know exactly how the dishes are to be prepared and cooked.

By 10.30 p.m. I've usually finished everything that needs to be done and, at last, I can relax.

I'll listen to some of my CDs or music downloads, enjoy a beer with my mates, chat to friends over MSN Messenger or simply watch TV or watch a film from my DVD collection or my dad's collection of movie classics.

22:30

23:30

Bag packed for tomorrow and tucked up in bed.

Not on Friday, of course, when I'm probably down the pub with my mates at this time and maybe out clubbing afterwards.

As a trainee chef you don't get much leisure time, so I make sure I enjoy mine as much as possible!

So after reading this, do you fancy becoming a trainee professional chef?

Three Guys Who Trained At Westminster Kingsway

2007-10-13T01:00:00.001+02:00

This is what three years at Westminster Kingsway College can do to you. Three sad characters, each of them driven completely insane (as you can see from the photos left) after years of mind-numbing drudgery eking out a subsistence living as a skullery slave.

Click on their pictures to see the sad stories of where they are now.

Should I give up and find another career?

Countries I Have Visited

2007-10-12T01:00:00.000+02:00

I have visited these countries and sampled some of their cuisines. I've plenty more to experience.

Europe	Americas	Asia	Africa	Australasia
Andorra	Antigua	Cambodia
Belgium	Montserrat	Thailand
France	United States	Vietnam
Germany
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Republic of Ireland
Spain*
Switzerland
Turkey^§
United Kingdom^#

* including both the Basque Country and Catalunya
§ both European and Asian sides
# England, Wales and Scotland

With thanks to World 66.

Restaurants I Have Eaten In

2007-10-11T01:00:00.059+02:00

These are the most notable establishments at which I have dined as a paying customer, or eaten while employed in the kitchens. My list started quite slowly, but it's now expanding rapidly. That's partly because I'm really enjoying a variety of fine dining experiences and partly because I now understand what Ferran Adrià was getting at when, in an interview with John Carlin of Observer Food Monthly, he stressed the need to put yourself in the position of your customers: "The best chefs I know are the ones who most enjoy eating". The more I've developed as a professional chef, the more I understand the importance of this message. I try to eat at as many great restaurants as I can afford!

Of course there are many other restaurants whose food I have sampled, some of dubious quality and one or two that I am now ashamed to admit (when very young, I once held a birthday party in the local branch of a certain litigious US globally-branded fast-food outlet).

The best of the restaurants that I've experienced thus far are, in alphabetical order:

Àbac, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Alkimia, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Arrop, in Gandía, Valencia
Bacchus, in Hoxton, London
Bentley's in Mayfair, London
Boxwood Café, in Knightsbridge, London
Café Spice Namasté, in Aldgate, London
El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Catalunya
Cinc Sentits, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Comerç 24, in Barcelona, Catalunya
L'Enclume, in Cartmel, Cumbria
Espai Sucre, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Ferrero by Paco Morales and Rut Cotroneo, in Bocairent, Valencia
Gabrielle's, in Westminster, London
La Gigantea at Hotel Mas Passamaner in Tarragona, Catalunya
Gresca, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Guggenheim Bilbao, in Bilbao, Euskadi

Inopia, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Koy Shunka, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Landmark London, in Marylebone, London
Lasarte, in Barcelona, Catalunya
Midsummer House, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Morgan M, in Islington, London
Mugaritz, in Errenteria, Euskadi
The Providores And Tapa Room, in Marylebone, London
Quique Dacosta (formerly El Poblet), in Dénia, Valencia
St. John, in Smithfield, London
Sketch Gallery, in Mayfair, London
The Star, in Harome, North Yorkshire
Tamarind, in Mayfair, London
Torrijos, in Valencia, Valencia
Viajante, in Bethnal Green, London
Zuma, in Knightsbridge, London

El Celler de Can Roca is Michelin 3*.
ABaC, Lasarte, Midsummer House, Mugaritz and Quique Dacosta are Michelin 2*.
Alkimia, Arrop, Cinc Sentits, Comerç 24, L'Enclume, St. John, The Star, Tamarind and Torrijos are Michelin 1*.

More information about the best of the restaurants in which I've eaten, including links to my posts writing up the experiences where applicable, can be found in the Restaurants section of my blog.

R.I.P., Great Restaurant

The restaurants I've listed above are all famous - most if not all of them listed in Michelin, Zagat and other restaurant guides. For every "top" restaurant, however, there are thousands of lesser-known establishments and, while most of these are of unremarkable quality (and in many cases that's putting it politely), some of the unknown dining houses are truly splendid, with chefs working with dedication and passion to serve food that represents excellent value for money.

These are some London restaurants that are no longer with us, but which had a profound influence on me as I was growing up:

Eleganza, Stoke Newington
Falafel House, Haverstock Hill
Hodja Nasreddin, Newington Green

My Favourite Utensils

2007-10-10T01:00:00.004+02:00

I'm afraid that I've left this page for several years without updating it. I'll make amends soon.

There's nothing wrong with commercial sponsorship, but I wouldn't promote any products unless I truly believed in them. I wouldn't consider making money from promoting anything I knew was poor quality, unhealthy or dangerous.

Anyhow, I've had no offers yet. So this is just my free promotion of some kitchen utensils that I wouldn't be without at home.

Castor peelers and julienne cutters

Füri knives

Krups ice cream maker

Peugeot mills

Russums chopping boards

Wüsthof knives

Apex Arvensdale F.C.

2007-10-09T01:00:00.001+02:00

This was Apex Arvensdale, my Waltham Forest Sunday League team, seen here after winning the Sudbury Court F.C. Under-11 Five-A-Side tournament in 1999.

During my 5 years as a goalkeeper at the club, we achieved great success in league and cup competitions.

We won S.E. England’s largest 5-asides when we were 10 years old, competed in the world’s largest five-a-side tournament at age 11 and won an Under-15s tournament at Arsenal's Highbury Stadium when we were just 12 years old. That year we also won the Waltham Forest U-13 League and Cup double and were winners and runners-up in many other tournaments.

The guy in the top-left of the picture is our coach Carl Dixon. Carl is a great guy, whose experience in football management and scouting, combined with his strict no-nonsense teaching methods earned him huge respect from everyone in the league as well as a bulging trophy cabinet. Carl found time to coach my team and also give local 8- and 9-year-olds their first tastes of football at the after-school club. He did this while pursuing a career as a players' agent and professional scout, working first for Chelsea F.C. and later for Fulham F.C.

This photo, entitled "Boys of Summer", was featured as a half-page spread in "The Guardian" newspaper in summer 1999, when I was goalkeeper for the Apex Arvensdale team that went on to become Waltham Forest league and cup double winners.

I can be seen lazing in the foreground in the orange jersey, along with fellow team-mates Luke (right) and fellow goalkeeper Tony (blue jersey).

This amazing event took place on the world-famous Hackney Marshes, football's grassroots home in East London where players such as David Beckham started their football careers.

More than 2,000 teams competed on 200 pitches, including a West Ham team featuring England international Rio Ferdinand.

Carl’s experience, expertise and love of helping and working with children led him to change tack and train to become a teacher, leading to his gaining a Bachelor of Education degree. Following this great achievement, Carl became a teacher at Rushmore Primary School in Hackney, where he quickly progressed to school management level and soon after to Deputy Head Teacher.

Carl had coached Apex Arvensdale squads previous to the one I played in. One team in particular, that of goalkeeper Craig Beaton and right-back Lloyd Doyley (pictured here) also achieved significant success, winning many league and cup titles during their time. While in charge of their team, Carl was also working as a scout for Watford F.C. to whose academy he recommended Lloyd at age 11. Lloyd is now getting regular first team play at Watford, and played a big part in last season’s campaign, helping them to gain promotion into the Barclays Premiership. Carl also coached Gifton Noel-Williams as a youth footballer. Gifton also contracted with Watford and was their top goalscorer in 1998-99, but he suffered a terrible injury that threatened to finish his football career. Not long afterwards he developed severe arthritis, which kept him off injured for a very long time. Showing incredible strength of character, Gifton fought his way back to play for Stoke City and Burnley in the Football League Championship. He subsequently played professional football both in Spain and in the United States.

Carl and I have remained close friends over the years. While I was living in the UK we often went to Stamford Bridge together to watch Chelsea F.C. play league and cup matches and we meet up whenever I return to my home country.

Fusion Magazine And The Edge Awards

2007-10-08T01:00:00.004+02:00

Back in Spring 2004, after Professor Cyrus Todiwala MBE presented me with my Junior Chefs Academy graduation certificate, my father and Cyrus had a long conversation. Dad told Cyrus about my personal situation and upbringing, the story of which he was very interested to hear.

As a parent living in the same part of London as ourselves, Cyrus understands very well how hard it can be for some kids growing up in London. In Hackney and Tower Hamlets in particular, the youth sometimes feel they aren’t always given the opportunities to succeed. But when you see the success achieved by locals such as Olympic athlete Phillips Idowu, who attended the same school as me, it is clear that passion and determination can go a long way.

Cyrus was really delighted to see that I had such great support and encouragement from my parents and so when I approached him a year later during the summer after my first year at college, he was more than happy to invite me to train at his Michelin-listed restaurant Café Spice Namasté in Aldgate. My experience there was quite different to that of a normal restaurant environment.

I was allowed to work alongside his knowledgeable Head Chef Babar Salim in his private kitchen, which gave him the chance to work with me on a much more personal level, away from the hustle and bustle. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot in the time I spent there, and I am hoping to return to Café Spice during the summer to put in some more work.

A few months later, Cyrus contacted Compass Group journalist Sara Matchett, with whom he had previously been involved in the media. He recommended she interview me for an article about the Junior Chefs Academy in Compass Group’s Fusion Magazine, to which I eagerly obliged. Sara phoned me soon after and interviewed me over the phone, for a publication in the February 13th edition of the magazine. Thanks to Cyrus and Sara for the great article about me.

Not long after the interview, in response to a letter I wrote thanking him for inviting me to train at Café Spice, Cyrus told me of an upcoming awards ceremony called The Edge Employer Awards, having its debut launch.

The ceremony was created to "shine the spotlight on practical learning success stories for young people in the workplace". Café Spice was being honoured with an award for its excellent youth training, and Cyrus gave me the chance to represent Café Spice as one of its many trainees.

Jamie Oliver of Fifteen and Simon Woodroffe of Yo! Sushi were invited to give speeches.

Of course I gratefully accepted Cyrus's invitation and confirmed the arrangements with the restaurant's General Manager. I think it’s really great that Cyrus is an ambassador to the training of young people like myself. It gives you the chance to gain practical learning experience in a realistic working environment, and it is extremely beneficial to both the trainer as well as the trainee.

Sonhos De Portugal

2007-10-07T01:00:00.000+02:00

A minha família, e eu em particular, tem uma historia muito especial com Portugal. Quando tinha 10 anos, fui de viajar em Europa com o meu pai e irmão Joel. Fomos a França no carro, e nós passamos França e Espanha em nossos cursos. Nós entramos Portugal perto de Bragança, no norte, e fomos diretament á costa, passando Braga e Guimarães. Chegamos em Viana do Castelo na tarde, e fomos para o sul, procurar um hotel. Agora fomos preocupados, porque não tivemos nenhuma sorte, e estava começando oscuro.

Após de horas de procurar éramos muito cansado, e paramos para beber alguma coisa em uma café que vimos em a vila pequena de Laúndos, perto de Póvoa de Varzim. Vimos um sinal na janela que disse: "Ici On Parle Français". Que sorte! Porque neste tempo, não falei uma palavra de Português. O meu pai pediu a senhora em francês se houvesse em qualquer lugar próximo onde nós poderíamos permanecer, e a nosso prazer, eles tiveram quartos para alugar acima de seu café.

Gradualmente fizemos amigos grandes com toda a família, Manuel e Helena os pais, Maryléne, Liliane e Rui os filhos e Dário, o namorado de Maryléne. Eu tinha um relacionamento especial com a filha Liliane, da minha idade, quem gostou muito de me do momento onde me viu. Nós éramos sempre juntos, e todos fomos ao circo e a Bracalandia e muitos otras sitios, e ao fim, ficamos com a família quase dois semanas. Ao fim dos feriados, e ao desapontamento de Liliane, tivemos que sair para Barcelona, antes de retornar a Inglaterra. Todo era muito triste, e era muito duro dizer adeus.

Três anos passaram, e não éramos em contato nada, mas pensamos deles frequentemente. Quando o verão veio, estávamos pensando de onde gostaríamos ir de ferias. Nós decidimo-nos que seria uma idéia grande visitá-los para uma surpresa.

Fomos no carro e fizemos a mesma rota, mas agora diretamente para Laúndos. A nossa surpresa, nós reconhecemos a vila exatamente, mesmo que mudasse tanto. Nós recordamos como começar lá perfeitamente, e quando vimos o restaurante Lanútus, sentiu como nós nunca saimos. Nós entramos e vimos uma rapariga atrás da barra, você deve ter visto o olhar em sua cara quando ela olhou-me com perplexidade totala, e quase não acreditou o que estava acontecendo.

Ao fim do todo o excitamento e beijoinhos, falamos por muitas horas, mostrando fotos da a nossa família e otras coisas, e permanecemos com eles dois semanas como a parte da família. Desde então, nós fomos a Portugal todos os anos e permanecemos em cima do restaurant, o na casa nova deles, pena justa a estrada. Agora nós pensamos deles como a família, Laúndos é a nosso segundo repouso, e eu sinto Português é como o meu segundo nacionalidade.

Fomos ao casamento de Maryléne e Dário, e também ao batizado do seu primerio filho, tembém chamado Dário, quem tirou o meu nome médio "Mateus" atrás do seu nome.

Tembém eu passei o natal lá com toda a família dois vezes, que foi muito diferente comparado com as nossas tradições, particularmente a comida. Para nós a comida especial é peru assado, para vôces é bacalhau. Agora eles são mais perto de nós do que alguns membros de nossa própria família, e como se diz em Inglaterra, o resto é historia....

Aqui pode ver o meu sobrinho Dário "Mateus" com os seus avós Maria Helena e Manuel. Na esquerda, o seu tio Rui, comer uma sobremesa especial Português.

A Comida Portuguesa

2007-10-06T01:00:00.000+02:00

Dos extremos do cuisine cotidiano á refeição tradicional do natal, a comida portuguesa sempre tem uma coisa na terra comum, é simples. Ao contrário do alimento dos países mais próximas em Europa, como o françes o espanhol, a comida de Portugal não tenta estar complicado demasiadamente.

O prato nacional reconhecido é bacalhau, e no norte do Portugal se diz que bacalhau pode ser cozinhado em mil manerias. Eu gosto bacalhau com óleo e herbs após uma bacia do caldo verde. Tembém eu amo o arroz de marisco, as sardinhas grelhadas, o frango grelhado com molho de piri-piri, e francesinhas, estes são os meus pratos preferidos Portugueses. E o que se comem quando tem fome? "Pão com queijo e fiambre!"

...Um tributo a Maria Helena Ramires.

From day-to-day cuisine to the traditional Christmas meal, Portuguese cuisine always has one thing in common - simplicity. Unlike the cuisines of its European neighbours France and Spain, Portuguese food doesn’t try to be overcomplicated. The recognised national dish is cod, and in the North of Portugal it is said that “cod can be cooked in a thousand ways”. I like my cod with oil and herbs, after a bowl of hot caldo verde. I also love Portuguese seafood rice, grilled sardines, piri-piri chicken and francesinhas.

My CV

2007-10-04T01:00:00.032+02:00

If you want to know more about me, here in .pdf format is my CV in English and my CV in Spanish.

To read it you will need to have either the full version of Adobe Acrobat or the reduced function Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your PC. Adobe Acrobat Reader is freeware that can be downloaded from the Adobe website by clicking here:

On this website you can also find more detailed information on my qualifications, my GCSE results, my references and the places where I've trained and worked. There's also some information about the football team I used to play for, which was so important to my development as a teenager.

My Qualifications

2007-10-03T01:00:00.000+02:00

In July 1007 I graduated from Westminster Kingsway College with my NVQ3 and a Professional Chef Diploma with Merit - the culmination of three years' full-time academic study and practical training. This is the highest further education qualification in catering available in the UK, awarded on successful completion of a course aimed at those intending to pursue a professional career in the hospitality industry. I'll post a scan of my Professional Chef Diploma as soon as I receive it.

These are my academic and professional qualifications to date:

Member, Craft Guild Of Chefs
Professional Chef Diploma with Merit
NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery
NVQ Level 3 Hospitality Supervision
Unit Credits for NVQ Level 3 Hospitality Supervision
Unit Credits for NVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery
NVQ Level 2 Food & Drink Service
NVQ Level 2 Pastry Cook & Patissier
Unit Credits for NVQ Level 2 Professional Cookery (Preparation and Cooking)
RIPH Intermediate Food Safety
EdExcel Key Skills Level 2
NVQ Level 1 Food Preparation and Cooking
HAB1 Customer Service
CIEH Foundation Food Hygiene
CIEH Foundation Health & Safety
CIEH Principles of COSHH
9 GCSEs, all Grade A* - C
Junior Chef's Academy Graduate

My GCSE Results

2007-10-02T01:00:00.003+02:00

In 2002 I was forced to leave my local Hackney community school, Kingsland, due to its impending closure after being placed under "special measures" (the Government's approach to "failing" schools). Following an appeal, I was fortunate to be admitted as a student at the nearby Raine's Foundation School in Tower Hamlets, a parochial school with a very mixed intake which prides itself on a strong "Christian ethos".

In Summer 2004, I took 9 GCSEs at Raine's and passed them all, with grades ranging from from A* to C. I was especially pleased with my A* in Spanish, because my late transfer meant that other students had a year's head start on me and the school was reluctant to let me join the course at this late stage. Thankfully they did, because I went on to study Spanish at AS Level, subsequently moved to Spain to train and now speak Spanish as my first language. I also speak very good Portuguese and, after a year and a half in Barcelona, I can understand spoken Catalan (although speaking Catalan myself can be a bit of a struggle!).

I was disappointed with the drama result. I always enjoyed drama and should have done better. My parents were delighted with my A Grades in English and B Grades in Maths and Science.

Subject	Grade
Spanish	A*
English Literature	A
English Language	A
Maths	B
Science (Double Award)	BB
Religious Studies	C
Technology	C
Drama	C

My References

2007-10-01T01:00:00.007+02:00

I am able provide a variety of references and personal endorsements.

Professional work:
Sr. Francisco Morales
Restaurante Ferrero, Hotel Ferrero, Ctra. Ontinyent-Villena Km 16, 46880 Bocairent, Valencia, Spain
Sr. Arnau Muñío
Comerç 24, Carrer del Comerç 24, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Professional paid stage:
Sr. Antonio Saez
Lasarte, Hotel Condes de Barcelona, Carrer de Mallorca 259, 08008 Barcelona, Spain

Work experience:
Mr. Peter Gordon
The Providores & Tapa Room, 109 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4RX, England

Training:
Prof. Cyrus Todiwala MBE
Café Spice Namasté, 16 Prescot Street, London E1 8AZ, England

College:
Mr. Norman Fu
Westminster Kingsway College, Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PD, England

Personal:
Mr. Carl Dixon
Rushmore Primary School, Elderfield Road, London E5 0LE, England

Interfacing To Me And My Blog

2007-09-30T01:00:00.000+02:00

For those who are not very experienced at blogging and communicating with bloggers, here are some notes on how you can interface with Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef. You can go directly to the appropriate section below by clicking on:
commenting, social bookmarking, linking, emailing or blogrolling.

Commenting On An Article

At the bottom of each posting is a cream-coloured footer box that looks like this:

To make a comment about the article, click on "[x] comments - post yours here" (if this says "0 comments", you will be the first to respond).

You will see any existing comments and, on the right, a box like one of those below. First, choose an identity. If you are a Blogger user who has already logged on with a Google Account name, you will see your own name as in the picture on the left. Your name, link and photo (if you chose to publish it when you set up your site) will appear on your comment. If you are not a Blogger user, or have not yet logged on to your Google Account, you will see the box as in the right-hand picture. You may be asked to retype a character string to verify that you are a live commenter and not a "robot".

Select your identity - either your Blogger id, or a name (real or adopted), or "anonymous". This is what will show on the comment you make. No other form of id is transferred, so readers cannot see your email address, IP address or anything else. If you are logged onto Blogger and use your Google Account name, however, readers will be able to click on your profile and read whatever details you have enabled for public view. Normally this also means that readers will be able to link to your blog via your comment on my blog.

Now type your comment in the large box. If you are responding to an earlier comment it's a good idea to start by identifying the author, as for example: "Andrew - I don't really agree with you.... etc." Some people like to copy the opening words of a previous comment and insert them in italics and some software provides an option for doing this.

To highlight something you write, you can use italics or bold or both. Bracket the words to be highlighted, using these "tags":

<b>this will be in bold</b> <i>this will be in italics</i>

You can't use left and right brackets (<, >) in your text, as these will be processed (rendered) as html code. This makes it difficult to post a comment in which you include a piece of html code. So type the literal html code instead. Left bracket is &#60 and right bracket is &#62.

When you've finished your comment, click on "Preview" to check the layout and then click on "Publish" to transmit it. It will appear in a few seconds on my blog. If by any chance you publish a comment that you later regret and wish to remove, you should be able to remove it by clicking on the little dustbin symbol. If you can't see this or are unable to remove a comment for any other reason, email me and I'll remove it for you.

Social Bookmarking

The row of icons in the post footer box provide links to social bookmarking sites the names of which will appear if you hold your cursor over the symbol. For those unfamiliar with social bookmarking, you can find a good introductory explanation here. You will need to be logged into your bookmarking account in order to use this functionality, although they all allow you to log in or create a new account after clicking on the icon.

Linking To An Article

If you are a Blogger user and you see something that you'd like to be able to show readers of your own blog without having to divert them to mine, you can do this by linking to a posting. At the bottom of each article is a cream-coloured footer box:

containing the item "Links to this post". Click on this and you will see the following. If there are existing links to the post, they will be listed.

Now click on "Create a link" to see this popup. Make sure that you are logged into your own blog or website and hit "publish" to establish a link.

Once published, the link will appear in a posting on your blog. Now you can write text around it, such as "I saw this article on the blog of a trainee chef in London the other day...." Your readers will be able to link through easily to my article and return back to what they were reading on your site.

Emailing me

There's an email address on my home page. Click on the address and your default email application will be launched, with my address inserted into a new message. If by any chance this doesn't work, open your email, right click on my email address and paste it into your new message. Don't forget to remove the "mailto:" prefix.

Blogrolling me

To create a permanent link to my blog on yours, enter a link in your sidebar.

If you are using a traditional html template, copy and save this. Firstly open an application such as MS Word or Notepad in which you can store the template code. Now open your template, put your cursor somewhere in the code, right click, "select all", "edit copy". Select your application and "edit paste" followed by a "save". Choose a sensible name for the file such as "mytemplateddmmyy" where dd mm yy is the date. Keeping the last few of these means you will be able to reverse the process later if necessary, unwinding changes until things work again.

You may be using a blogrolling package, in which case enter details of this blog into the host application. Alternatively, if you are using a blog with sidebar widgets, open an appropriate widget and save the code (as above) before you make changes.

Look in your sidebar or widget code for a suitable section header (or create your own), something like:

<h2 class="sidebar-title">Food blogs I like</h2>

Here is some code that will create a picture of my blog that will link to me when anyone clicks on it:

<a href="http://www.aidanbrooks.blogspot.com/"><img style="float: left;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KOANLi2W44U/RbiDoLTJU7I/AAAAAAAAA1o/ELgMuJH-zZE/s200/Button2.PNG" alt="Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef" title="Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef" border="0" /></a>

Here is alternative code for a simple text link:

<a href="http://www.aidanbrooks.blogspot.com/">Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef</a>

My Cuarto Frio Section

2007-09-30T00:00:00.000+02:00

This is the layout of my cuarto frio (cold larder) section at Comerç 24: