Chef Revelations – David Gingell

What was your first job?
Age 13, washing up in a small seafood restaurant in Cornwall

What was your first job in catering?
I began as a commis chef aged 16 at Pennypots in Cornwall

What do you do to relax?
Fishing - after an afternoon sat on a rock looking at the sea I feel refreshed and ready to face life

Which is your favourite restaurant?
Terroirs wine bar, near Charing Cross

What is your favourite food/cuisine?
Seafood

Which ingredient do you hate the most?
Liquorice

What is your favourite drink?
Guinness or tea

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with?
Freeze-dried herbs are rubbish - they all taste the same to me. And bottled lemon juice is lazy!

What do you always carry with you?
A pencil

What flavour combinations do you detest?
Deconstructed desserts - what's the point?

What's your favourite music?
Late 80s/early 90s hip hop

Which person in catering have you most admired?
Chris Galvin

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

What daily newspaper/website do you read?
The Metro

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?
I always liked Bananaman when I was a kid

Describe your ultimate nightmare?
The gas going out before a busy dinner service

When and where was your last holiday?
South Africa last year for my best mate's wedding

Tell us a secret…
I know it's simple, but boiled egg and soldiers is my favourite dish

When did you last eat a hamburger?
Two days ago, at Meat Liquor. I had the Chilli Cheese Lush

Who would play you in a film about your life?
I would like it to be Brad Pitt but it would more likely be Simon Pegg…

What is your favourite prepared food product?
Korean miso paste

David Gingell, executive group chef, Wright Brothers, London