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and always keen for a good chat – perhaps when I should have been working!
an you describe your school in three simple words? Loved every minute.
Who first inspired you to start cooking and how old were you? My mum and grandma would have to be the two people who first inspired me. I would probably have been in my early teens and I’d just help out with the Sunday roast or random meals every once in a while. Plus, my grandma made an amazing apple and blackberry pie and I wanted to try and emulate that, so I guess that got me into cooking. Were you interested in cooking at school? Yes. I remember making homemade doughnuts to take to school to sell the next day. But I was in no way as passionate about cooking as I am now. You got a first in geography at university, but as you clearly have a natural talent for cooking are you going to follow this as a profession? It would be a shame not to work with something that I have a massive passion for.
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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2014
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JACK LUCAS
Double maths or an afternoon of art? Afternoon of art, for sure! I think a lot of creativity in my food came from my art lessons. Plus we could eat food and listen to music, as opposed to being in silence calculating sums in the maths lesson! Although I did both subjects for A level, I definitely preferred an afternoon of art.
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MasterChef finalist Jack Lucas learnt that to be a good leader you have to be a good team player at Solihull School, West Midlands What advice would you offer today’s aspiring chefs? I’d advise them to absorb as much information as possible from those around them that are more experienced. Fortunately, I had access to amazing chefs at school but I wanted to learn as much as I could from them in a short space of time. Practice always makes perfect – and remember the seasoning! Were you a team player or just out for yourself? Definitely a team player. I played First XI cricket and was captain of the hockey First XI. You had to be a team player to be a good leader.
Were you a stalwart of the detention room or a teacher’s pet? I’d probably say I was more on the side of teacher’s pet than stalwart of the detention room, but I had a great laugh at the same time. How would your teachers remember you? They would probably remember me as having crazy hair, being pretty confident
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Most embarrassing moment? Reading the weekly hockey reports. I mumbled my way through them and no one could hear a word I was saying! I think I’d be fine at doing them now though. Finally, what advice would you give your school-age self? Work as hard as you can at school and get stuck into as many activities outside the classroom as you can! They are a great way of making new mates – and it’s important to keep yourself active and sane. Good grades and a degree are always good to fall back on. ISP
“ Work as hard as you can and get stuck into as many activities outside the classroom as you can”
PHOTOGRAPHY: BBC, SHINE TV PRODUCTION
Who were your best friends? I had a great group of best mates at Solihull and we would generally hang out together. There were five of us who lived in Dorridge who’d go for kickabouts in the park but also a few who lived closer to school, which was great!
When I was growing up I wanted to be an..? Astronaut, I think. But isn’t that everyone’s dream job?