Chef revelations: Simon Jenkins, executive pastry chef, Marcus Wareing Group

What was your best subject at school?
Woodwork

What was your first job?
Barrow boy on a fruit and veg stall

Which is your favourite restaurant?
Dishoom

What's your favourite hotel?

What is your favourite drink?
Mount Gay Extra Old Rum and blackcurrant

Which ingredient do you hate the most?
None - I think you need to be more open-minded than that

What flavour combinations do you detest?
Strawberry and balsamic

What do you do to relax?
Gardening

What do you always carry with you?
Small cranked handle/step palette knife, and a trusted blue scraper

How would you describe your desk?
Organised and meticulous

Which person in catering have you most admired?
Michel Roux Sr

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?
My first pastry chef, Michael Taylor

Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
My Saji Ironwood Japanese knife

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?
I'd be a carpenter

What irritates you most about the industry?
Pastry chefs not being recognised for their skills

Describe your ultimate nightmare?
Working with unmotivated people

When and where was your last holiday?
Summer 2014 in New York

Tell us a secret…
I've cooked in Pakistan

Who would play "you" in a film about your life? James McAvoy

What's your favourite book?
Long Way Down and Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

What is your favourite prepared product?
Fruit purée