Chef Revelations – Chris McGowan
What was your best subject at school? Art
What was your first job? Paper round
What was your first job in catering? Veg prep in a hotel
What do you normally have for breakfast? Muesli
What do you do to relax? Run
Which is your favourite restaurant? Don Alfonso, Sorrento, Italy
What's your favourite hotel? The Merchant hotel, Belfast
What is your favourite drink? G&T
What is your favourite food/cuisine? 40-day, dry-aged Welsh Black beef
Which ingredient do you hate the most? Baby corn
Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with? Blue-fin tuna because it's an endangered species
What flavour combinations do you detest? Ham and pineapple
What do you always carry with you? Blackberry and iPad
How would you describe your desk? Creative chaos
Which person in catering have you most admired? Pierre Koffmann
Which person gave you the greatest inspiration? Marco Pierre White
What daily newspaper/website do you read? The Times
When and where was your last holiday? The Algarve, last September
What irritates you most about the industry? Poor service
When did you last eat a hamburger? Can't remember
What's your favourite film?The Deer Hunter
What's your favourite book? Haven't time to read books!
What is your favourite prepared product? Hummus
Who would be in your "fantasy" brigade? Pastry - the Roux brothers; hot larder - Philip Howard; cold larder - Pierre Gagnaire; fish - Marco Pierre White; veg - Gordon Ramsay; sauce - Pierre Koffmann
If you had more time, what would you do? Spend more time with my five-year-old twin daughters
Chris McGowan, head chef, Corrigan's Mayfair
