Leamington and Warwick Living Jan - Feb 2023

THE CHEF’S CHEF
David Everitt-Matthias has been
the co-owner and head chef of
Michelin starred Le Champignon
Sauvage in Cheltenham since
1987. 36 years later and with
2 Michelin stars under his belt,
Sally Thomson caught up with
him to discuss foraging, Saturday
Kitchen and winter flavours...
WHEN DID YOU START COOKING?
1978. It was when I left school. I had put
in papers to join the army catering corps
and I also had an interview at the Four
Seasons which was in Mayfair which
in those days was called the Inn on the
Park. So, I decided to go that way to the
Inn on the Park and started there as a
first-year apprentice.
DID YOU FIND IT QUITE
CHALLENGING?
Oh yeah, it was great. In those days it
was very regimented. There were about
ninety chefs and we each had our place.
Because we were junior it was the whole
‘Don’t talk unless you are spoken to’ so
it was just head down and get on with
your job.
SO IT WAS A BIT LIKE BEING IN
THE ARMY?
It was. It was very regimented, and I think
that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I THINK THERE’S A CERTAIN
LACK OF IT IN SO MANY ASPECTS
OF LIFE THESE DAYS. YOU NEED
TO DO IT BY THE BOOK - TO BE
GOOD AT IT ALMOST.
Yes. Then you can throw the rule book
away afterwards. Once you’ve got the
training then you can start playing.
IT IS FANTASTIC TO BE ABLE TO
GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO LEARN A VERY GOOD SKILL
It is a problem, the de-skilling of our
Cinderford lamb, bay boletus cream, sautéed ceps and walnuts
industry and many other industries.
They’re just not as skilled as they used to
be. Lots of people are getting their stuff
already boned from the butchers, already
cut into portions, and so don’t have the
opportunity to work on whole animals, or
semi-whole animals. And it’s the same
with fish. A lot of fish gets prepped up
and doesn’t arrive whole. So that’s gone
out the window for a lot of chefs in their
training.
I THINK THAT’S ESSENTIAL
WITH MOST THINGS IN LIFE;
TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS
BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE ON
WITH IT.
I totally agree. It’s just the whole deskilling
of so many things in the world at
the moment. Especially given that head
chefs are getting younger and younger
now and they are supposed to be able
to teach people under them. How can
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