Mark leach
1. What was your first job?
Commis chef, the Bedford Hotel, Brighton
2. What made you decide to be a chef?
I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps and be a master baker. He told me the hours were too long and the work too hard… so I became a chef
3. What is your favourite restaurant?
I had a memorable dinner recently at the Waterside Inn, Bray, celebrating my wife's birthday
4. What is your favourite wine and what would you serve it with for that perfect meal?
Château La Tour de Mons, Margaux, served with cheese, cold cuts, bread and friends
5. Do you experiment with dishes on your family or friends?
Only at work
6. Are there any foods you refuse to cook with?
Brains. Luckily no one, as yet, has requested them
7. Have you ever had a disaster in the kitchen? If so, what?
One of my commis chefs once had a little accident involving clarified butter, a hot charcoal grill, the kitchen extractor and £250,000
8. What is your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere warm, where I can be understood and can buy a beer
9. How do you relax when you're away from work?
Sleep
10. What is the best film you have ever seen?
Schindler's List - but the book was better
11. What would you do if you won the lottery?
Buy a small country hotel, offer superb food and service at affordable prices, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere
12. What sort of music do you like?
Music that calms me: Puccini, Bizet, Elvis, Buddy Holly, the Stones
13. Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Depends on whether I win the lottery or not
14. Who is your favourite supplier of the moment, and why?
Jolley & Co, New Covent Garden Market, tel: 0171-720 0071, for fresh fruit and vegetables. They understand individual customer requirements and react quickly