Chances of a lifetime

Still at school and his heart already set on becoming a chef, Michael Coaker asked if he could work in the school kitchens as part of his work experience. "I was told that I couldn't possibly do that and was sent to work in the office of a builders' merchant instead," he says, nearly 30 years on. "It was hardly the encouragement I was looking for to become a chef."

Luckily, Coaker, now executive chef at London's May Fair Inter-Continental hotel, had already gained a place on a catering course at Slough College, now Thames Valley University (TVU).

He now realises that young people are more than ever in need of encouragement to work as chefs. He believes that the industry should be doing all it can to welcome enthusiastic youngsters, and he is delighted to offer four students the opportunity to cook alongside him and his brigade of 36 chefs at one of the highest-profile food events of the year - the Chef Conference gala dinner.

To be held on 9 March 1998 in the ballroom of the May Fair Inter-Continental, the dinner immediately follows the 1998 Chef Conference, at which some of the country's leading chefs will be speaking and demonstrating to delegates. As well as having the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with some of the industry's major stars, the lucky students will also be involved in the preparation of the four-course dinner.

"It is now more important than ever to retain young people in the industry," says Coaker, "and I think the best way of doing that for this hotel is by recruiting students after they have spent at least two years at college. Coming into a big, five-star London hotel like the May Fair at 16 can be very daunting. I think we have more chance of keeping them after they have experienced some life at college first."

On average, Coaker recruits about five students a year directly from colleges, usually TVU. Lecturer John Huber was a major inspiration to Coaker while he was a student, and also later in his career. "After leaving college I worked in the kitchens of a number of airport hotels at Heathrow," he says, "but I wasn't sure in which direction my career was going. John encouraged me to go into London, and in 1975 helped me find my first job in town, at what was then the Portman Hotel."

At the time, all the leading chef positions in major London hotels were held by French, Swiss or Germans. "I decided that if I was ever going to get to the top myself, then I would need to spend some time abroad," Coaker says. He travelled for 18 months, working in hotels in Geneva and St Moritz before ending up at the Hotel Bristol, Paris, where he had his first brush with modern cuisine - it was novel then to see every dish leave the kitchen plated. "Working abroad was a real eye-opener," says Coaker. "It broadened my horizons and taught me how to be adaptable and, most importantly, encouraged me to look at food more intensely."

Job offer

While at the Bristol, Coaker got a phone call from Anton Mosimann offering him a job in London as chef de partie at the Dorchester. "I didn't know Anton," he says, "but I had written to him earlier asking for an opportunity to work for him." The two-and-a-half years he then spent working for Mosimann, during which time he was promoted to sous chef, inspired in Coaker great confidence and a passion for food. "One of Anton's strengths is his attention to detail," he says. "He taught me how to be precise."

Then followed two-and-a-half years as sous chef with another mentor, Peter Kromberg at the Hotel Inter-Continental at London's Hyde Park Corner. "I learnt a lot from him on organisational skills," Coaker says, "particularly in banqueting, as well as the importance of flavours."

Coaker's first opportunity to run his own kitchen came when Inter-Continental bought the Britannia hotel on Grosvenor Square. "It was a bit scary at first," he says, "but I quickly learnt that, while the responsibility of the job can be extremely stressful, it is important to know when to switch off in order to sleep at night."

His three years at the Britannia, during which time he opened the British/American restaurant Best of Both Worlds, proved an excellent training ground for his present position at the May Fair Inter-Continental, one of the most prestigious five-star London hotels.

He arrived at the May Fair in 1987, since when he has witnessed considerable changes in the eating-out scene in the capital, which in turn has influenced his own style of cooking. His biggest challenge came earlier this year when the hotel's main restaurant, formerly Le Château, was revamped and renamed Opus 70.

The changes have undoubtedly been beneficial, resulting in an increase in business of more than 50%.

The recently introduced new menu in Opus 70 clearly reflects how Coaker's cooking has adapted in recent years to current trends and influences from all over the world. "When I arrived here 10 years ago, my food was largely inspired by France," says Coaker. "Now the USA has the biggest influence." Trips to New Orleans, New York and Chicago, just this year, have resulted in the appearance on the menu of such dishes as Cajun red mullet, while the opportunity to select different-sized cuts of meat - the London-sized 10oz sirloin steak for £13.75 or the 16oz New York version, for instance - is a reflection of the larger portion sizes in the USA.

The general trend toward lighter, healthier food has led Coaker to make more use of vinaigrettes and flavoured oils in place of heavy sauces rich in cream and butter. He has moved away from using expensive ingredients such as foie gras and truffles, and will rarely include more than four ingredients on a plate. And an increase in demand for vegetarian food and dishes suitable for special dietary requirements has focused his mind on more meat-free dishes. Currently on the menu, for example, is saffron couscous with grilled vegetables and sun-dried tomato relish; and linguine with marinated artichokes and red pepper oil.

Coaker is responsible for 80 staff (36 are chefs, the rest work in room service and the staff restaurant, and operate the mini-bars) and for producing around 1,000 covers a day. Besides Opus 70, there is also the 90-seat May Fair Café, banqueting for up to 300 covers at a formal dinner, room service for the 287 bedrooms, and Oscars staff restaurant. To Coaker, Oscars is just as important as all the other F&B outlets. To ensure high standards are met, he has employed a chef-manager for Oscars, Denis Marshall, who takes full responsibility for the standard of the food and operates his own budget. Oscars is open 12 hours a day to feed the 300 staff.

Coaker has spent all his working life in hotels and can't imagine now working in any other sector of the industry. "I like the great diversity of hotels,"he says, "there is always something going on. This kitchen never closes, it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and I enjoy the challenge it creates."