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Proving that age is just a number, 23-year-old chef Luke Thomas was named the UK’s youngest head chef at the age of 18, and is the creative mind behind three thriving F&B concepts – one of which is Dubaibased. We caught up with Luke to learn the secrets of his success. By Sophie McCarrick
104 BBC Good Food Middle East December 2016
Where did your desire to become a chef start?
I’ve been interested in food for as long as I remember. My grandmother used to get me helping in the kitchen from the age of three, all the traditional British dishes from her generation, and it sparked a lifelong passion for food and still today is the inspiration behind the food concepts I create - connecting people through food experience is very powerful and rewarding.
How did you successfully submerge yourself in the culinary industry at such an early age? I started working at a local butcher shop at 12, which was a fantastic way of really getting to understand different
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BRITAIN’S YOUNGEST CHEF
rom work placements at Alinea, The Fat Duck and a French Laundry pop-up in London, to opening his first international venture, Retro Feasts at The Beach, Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai, chef Luke’s passion clearly lies in the kitchen. He’s accomplished a lot so far, and what’s best is that his culinary journey is just beginning. Here, Luke tells how it all began….