Case of the living nightmare

Richard Shepherd, owner of restaurants including Langan's Brasserie in London's West End, reveals all

1. What were your best subjects at school?

Maths, technical drawing, French

2. What was your first job?

Cleaning cars at eight years old

3. What was your first job in catering?

Working in a café 10 years ago

4. What do you normally have for breakfast?

Cup of tea and a cigarette

5. What do you do to relax?

Ha ha! Play golf and ski

6. Which is your favourite restaurant?

Chez Michel, Nice

7. What is your favourite drink?

Scotch, ice and coke

8. What ingredient do you hate the most?

Mange-tout

9. What do you always carry with you?

Money

10. How would you describe your desk?

Neat piles

11. Which person in catering have you most admired?

Terry Holmes

12. Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

Silvino Trompetto

13. Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?

Caviare

14. What daily newspapers do you read?

None

15. If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

Peter Ustinov

16. If you hadn't gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?

A detective in the police force

17. Describe your ultimate nightmare?

I'm living it!

18. Where and when was your last holiday?

25 December 1993 - two weeks' skiing in the Alps

19. Tell us a secret…

Then it wouldn't be one!

20. What irritates you most about hotels?

The bill

21. When was the last time you had a hamburger?

Last Wednesday at Chelsea Bridge with Brian Turner