North Hampshire Lifestyle Jan - Feb 2023
The new year edition is here - but we’ve done away with the usual ‘new year, new you’ spiel and instead we’re focusing on things to banish the winter gloom and lots of inspiration in the kitchen, the home and for later life. Plus, you’ve got the chance to win lots of goodies, including a pet friendly holiday and adjustable dumbbells
The new year edition is here - but we’ve done away with the usual ‘new year, new you’ spiel and instead we’re focusing on things to banish the winter gloom and lots of inspiration in the kitchen, the home and for later life. Plus, you’ve got the chance to win lots of goodies, including a pet friendly holiday and adjustable dumbbells
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THE CHEF’S CHEF<br />
David Everitt-Matthias has been the co-owner<br />
and head chef of Michelin starred Le Champignon<br />
Sauvage in Cheltenham since 1987. 36 years later<br />
and with 2 Michelin stars under his belt, Sally<br />
Thomson caught up with him to discuss foraging,<br />
Saturday Kitchen, lockdown and winter flavours...<br />
WHEN DID YOU START COOKING?<br />
1978. It was when I left school. I had put in papers to join the<br />
army catering corps and I also had an interview at the Four<br />
Seasons which was in Mayfair which in those days was called<br />
the Inn on the Park. So, I decided to go that way to the Inn on<br />
the Park and started there as a first-year apprentice.<br />
DID YOU FIND IT QUITE CHALLENGING?<br />
Oh yeah, it was great. In those days it was very regimented.<br />
There were about ninety chefs and we each had our place.<br />
Because we were junior it was the whole ‘Don’t talk unless you<br />
are spoken to’ so it was just head down and get on with your<br />
job.<br />
SO IT WAS A BIT LIKE BEING IN THE ARMY?<br />
It was. It was very regimented, and I think that’s not necessarily<br />
a bad thing.<br />
I THINK THERE’S A CERTAIN LACK OF IT IN SO<br />
MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE THESE DAYS. YOU NEED TO<br />
DO IT BY THE BOOK - TO BE GOOD AT IT ALMOST.<br />
Yes. Then you can throw the rule book away afterwards. Once<br />
you’ve got the training then you can start playing.<br />
IT IS FANTASTIC TO BE ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE<br />
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A VERY<br />
GOOD SKILL<br />
It is a problem, the de-skilling of our industry and many other<br />
industries. They’re just not as skilled as they used to be. Lots of<br />
people are getting their stuff already boned from the butchers,<br />
already cut into portions, and so don’t have the opportunity<br />
to work on whole animals, or semi-whole animals. And it’s the<br />
same with fish. A lot of fish gets prepped up and doesn’t arrive<br />
whole. So that’s gone out the window for a lot of chefs in their<br />
training.<br />
I THINK THAT’S ESSENTIAL WITH MOST THINGS IN<br />
LIFE; TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS BEFORE YOU<br />
CAN MOVE ON WITH IT.<br />
I totally agree. It’s just the whole de-skilling of so many things<br />
in the world at the moment. Especially given that head chefs<br />
are getting younger and younger now and they are supposed<br />
to be able to teach people under them. How can they do that<br />
16 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk
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