ADVENTUROUS CUISINE

Meet Clifton Desouza from Searcys

What’s your background?

I grew up in Mumbai and when I came to the UK, I did my postgraduate in Hospitality and Communication and studied for five years, learning everything from nutrition to the more practical uses of food.

How did you get into cooking?

My mum got me into cooking, and from an early age I was enjoying the atmosphere of the kitchen and the fire. Coming from India, you have 29 states with different ingredients and spices and flavours, so when I came over to the UK, I met different people, learnt about new cuisines, and started working in restaurants.

My biggest dream was to travel on the ships and the shipping lines, but I had a fear of water, so took a step back and thought ‘what if I go to the UK and get a higher education?’. The UK seemed like a great place, and when I got here, the cultures were all new to me – it was a whole new start.

My first job was at the Wolsey doing large numbers. It was very different from what I was used to. We had 72 chefs in the kitchen, and a constant buzz. Then

I moved to hotels, with Hilton Group and Principal London. I went up to demi chef level and understood how the same recipes can be made into different blends.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt?

The most important thing I learnt whilst working around people it to understanding them, as everyone has a different way of presenting themselves. It’s vital to work well with people around you and learn from them. I trained at the Le Meridien hotel, front and back of house, so I understood how the whole place operates. That helps me understand every purpose and perspective. It helped me be the person I am today.

How did you start working for Searcys?

I started working for Searcys after a call from a respected colleague offering me the role of sous chef. I trained, moved

up to senior sous chef and wanted to continue to make strides in The Barbican. Then, when the head chef left, I was the ideal person for the job.

I’m now executive chef, but the pressure is the same. I have a bigger overview of the team and have learnt about the management and financial side. As a head chef you get stuck in one place, whereas an executive you see everything.

In the Barbican's Bonfire restaurant, on a busy day you can do 180 covers, at Osteria (our fine-dining option) you might do 100. Bonfire is more hipster and casual, whereas upstairs it’s all different now and its had a great refurbishment.

Long term I want to work with my team and people, learning stories and helping them deal with the pressure in the kitchen. I want to help others step up and provide opportunities in chef development. Inspiration keeps me going.

What do you cook when alone?

My personal style of cooking is simple, fresh and the food must speak for itself. Yes, I do love Michelin style presentation, but sometimes simple is better. My favourite food is Chinese. I love noodles, dim sum etc. If I get an opportunity to go to Japan and China and see the street food that would be great.