Chef revelations: James Buckley, executive chef, ExCeL London Hospitality
What was your best subject at school?
Cookery
What was your first job?
Apprentice chef at Lloyd's of London
What do you normally have for breakfast?
Porridge or Weetabix
What do you do to relax?
Cycling
Which is your favourite restaurant?
Craft in New York
What's your favourite hotel?
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
What's your favourite drink?
Craft or real ale
What's your favourite food?
Classical French
Which ingredient do you hate the most?
Baby corn
Which flavour combinations do you detest?
Which person in catering have you most admired?
The Roux brothers
Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
An ice-cream machine
Which person has given you the greatest inspiration?
George Buckley (my dad and best mate) and Mike Hodges (my first head chef and lifelong mentor). They've always kept me moving in the right direction.
If not yourself, who would you rather have been?
The Milk Tray Man
When and where was your last holiday?
Bordeaux, last August
What irritates you most about the industry?
Chefs who would buy everything in rather than producing it themselves
When did you last eat a hamburger?
Last week
What's your favourite film?
Kevin & Perry Go Large
Who would play you in a film about your life?
Bradley Cooper
What's your favourite book?
The Devil in the Kitchen by Marco Pierre White
What is your favourite prepared product?
Char siu pork dumplings
If you had more time, what would you do?
Cycle everywhere
