S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S
New kid on the block
aLL ChanGe
THIS HERE IS MIKE WALLIS, HEAD CHEF AT THE FOX IN CHIPPING NORTON Hi there, Mike! So, when did you first begin cooking? I started professionally cooking when I was about 18 years old, but I cooked at home from a young age, making food for me and my younger brother when my parents were at work. So you’ve been a foodie since you were a kid, then? What’s your fondest food memory from your childhood? My mum baking flapjacks and mince pies! Also, as a treat she would make this onepot dish of baked beans, sausages and tomatoes, topped with mash potato and cheese. Simple but, as a kid, very tasty!
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What first inspired you to cook professionally, then? I wanted the ability to cook dishes and make people feel happy when they ate my food. Also, girls love a man who can cook!
What other local restaurants do you like to eat out at? Just recently I went to lunch with some friends at The Wild Rabbit in Kingham, and we weren’t disappointed; the food and service were fantastic.
What was your very first job in the food industry like? I was a kitchen porter at a hotel back in my home town of Swaffham in Norfolk. It was long hours and very hard work for a grand sum of £2.50 per hour, but it was my way into the kitchen – and we all have to start somewhere. I believe this is a bit of a problem at the moment, with young chefs that finish college believing they are entitled to a head chef position immediately.
What do you reckon makes the local foodie scene so great? I think that, because there are so many great restaurants in the surrounding area, many people get to experience and taste lots of flavours and combinations.
What’s the toughest job you’ve tackled so far? Definitely working on the yachts in the Mediterranean. You would plan your meals and provisions from the information that you received from the guests’ agent, but would generally find that – once you were at sea – they wanted something totally different. So you would have to improvise with what you had, and make quick tender runs to the shore to buy from the markets.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without? We have a Rational combi cooker in the kitchen, which is great for lots of styles of cooking. We slow cook our shoulder of pork for 12 hours, for instance, for pulled pork sandwiches.
What’s your proudest career achievement to date? That would have to be in 2010, when I was asked by a former boss to design and cook a dessert for HM the Queen during her visit to Norwich Cathedral. The whole week leading up to the day was very intense; cooking, making and tweaking the dish every day. How have you approached the menu at The Fox? There are some wonderful ingredients around the Cotswolds, so we’ve tried to use lots of good local suppliers. How would you describe your style of cooking? I like to keep my cooking traditional, but with a little modern flair.
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What are your favourite ingredients at the moment? I’m liking celeriac. It’s a very versatile vegetable with great flavour on its own or with others. Also heritage beetroot, as the colours look fabulous on a plate.
What and where was the best meal you’ve eaten? My father-in-law took us out to Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham. The whole meal was amazing, but my starter of rabbit loin, rillettes and parfait stood out for me – the colours and textures were bang on. Do you have a favourite cookery book? It’s a hard one as I have so many, but I do like the Essence series of books by David Everitt-Matthias. What about foodie heroes? That would have to be Tom Kerridge, Gordon Ramsay and the Roux brothers. Finally, what’s your current favourite flavour combination? I love the combination of salmon and beetroot. The earthiness of both ingredients works well together. ✱ foxchippingnorton.co.uk
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