Chichester and Arundel Lifestyle Jan - Feb 2022

BESTChef
YOUNG NATIONAL CHEF OF THE YEAR
SURPASSES ALL OTHER YOUNG CHEF
CONTESTS, BRINGING TOGETHER
THOSE IDENTIFIED AS THE BEST
YOUNG CHEFS IN THE INDUSTRY
AND GIVES THEM A PLATFORM ON
WHICH TO BUILD THEIR FUTURE
CAREERS. WINNING YNCOTY FIRMLY
ESTABLISHES A CHEF AS A RISING
STAR OF THE CULINARY WORLD
BOTH IN THE UK AND BEYOND.
HERE WE TALK TO DAN CORNISH,
SENIOR CHEF DE PARTIE AT LE MANOIR
AUX QUAT’SAISONS, OXFORD ABOUT HIS
EXPERIENCE HAVING TAKEN PART IN THE
COMPETITION...
SO, TO BEGIN WITH, WHEN DID YOU
FIRST START COOKING?
I started cooking with mum and grandma
when I was about four or five. I remember
being stood on a stool, baking cakes and
baking bread in the kitchen and then I
grew up and spent eight years in Africa.
Me and my brother went to school out
there and my parents helped set up a
school out there and helped in hospitals
and things like that.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB WHEN
YOU DECIDED TO PUT YOUR WHITES
ON AND GET INTO THE KITCHEN?
My first job was at Chewton Glen Hotel
and Spa. I started when I was 16 but
it was part of the college scholarship
course at the time. I was there for a year
and then I would go back to college for
three months, then back to the hotel for
another year because that was how the
course worked.
YOU ARE AT LE MANOIR NOW, WHAT
WAS THE TRANSITION BETWEEN
THERE AND WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I had actually done three weeks work
experience at Le Manoir prior to doing
the specialised Chefs course so I had had
a glimpse it. At the end of 2016 I went for
a trial at Le Manoir and then I started in
January 2017. I am now the Senior Chef
du Partie
TO BE AWARDED YOUNG NATIONAL
CHEF OF THE YEAR ISN’T TOO BAD
IS IT? HOW WOULD YOU
DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF
COOKING?
I think I’m still figuring it out. I like to keep
with the seasons and so use what’s in
season, but I think one of the biggest
challenges is trying to make your food
more sustainable. I think we’re only
just realising what affect it has and we
need to sort of rethink what we what
we actually eat and how we how we do
it. I think that’s only going to get more
important really.
WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH
RAYMOND BLANC, DO YOU HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE YOUR
OWN MENU? DO YOU HAVE ANY SAY
IN WHAT’S BEING PLATED UP?
At Le Manoir you’re more than welcome
to bring your own ideas, visuals, and your
own way of working or even a recipe,
and what we will do is all gather round
and work together to try and improve.
Anyone from any position can bring
forward an idea. They are really open to
that and Raymond Blanc and Gary Jones
are always striving to be better, whether
that’s the food or whether it’s how they
interact. Any way that they can improve,
they want to know as they always have
this drive to be better than the day
before.
GROWING UP YOU SAID THAT YOU
WERE AT YOUR MOTHER’S AND
GRANDMOTHER’S SIDE. DID YOU
HAVE COOKERY BOOKS? DID YOU
LOOK THROUGH THEM WHEN YOU
WERE VERY LITTLE?
Yes! Actually, there’s quite a funny story
there. I don’t remember how old I was,
but we lived near Loughborough. I
remember we went out to the market.
And I remember I was in a bookshop,
looking through cookery books and my
family actually left and carried on and
went somewhere else!
WHO WOULD YOUI SAY ARE YOUR
FOODIE HEROES?
Oh I’ve got so many, well Raymond Blanc
is definitely one. It is a dream to work
for him now. Gary Jones is another one,
and also people like Thomas Keller, and
Marco Pierre White.
www.belmond.com
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