Chef revelations: João Ferreira Pinto, head chef, Moio, London
What was your first job?
I starred in a TV commercial for Nissan when I was 11
What was your first job in catering?
When I was 15, I worked at Michelin-starred Eleven in Lisbon
What do you normally have for breakfast?
Nothing. I normally skip it and wait for our staff lunch
Which is your favourite restaurant?
In London, Smoke & Salt; worldwide, I would say Septime in Paris; but for a day-to-day place, it would have to be Salsa & Coentros back home in Portugal
What's your favourite hotel?
Vila Joya in the Algarve, which also has one of the best restaurants in the world
Which ingredient do you hate the most?
I don't hate anything, but I don't love persimmons
Which person in catering have you most admired?
Mario Morais, a hospitality consultant with more than six Michelin stars under his wing
Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?
Any average cook that came from nothing into something through hard work in kitchens and sometimes corrupted environments
Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
Fishing gear, a barbecue and a portable distillery. What a life
If not yourself, who would you rather have been?
My grandfather, Fernando Lima Bello, who was incredibly wise and a world champion and Olympian in sailing
Tell us a secret...
Like most of us in the industry, I have a love-hate relationship with it. Love and passion always prevail, but its not always easy
What's your favourite film?
Seabiscuit. It's based on a true story about a horse that is too small that gathered its strength to overcome and beat the rest.Got to love that
What irritates you most about the industry?
The poor treatment of staff. One of my biggest challenges is to prove you can have a strictly run kitchen, doing amazing things with food, without shouting at and mistreating colleagues
What's your favourite book?
We, Chefs: Beyond Cooking by João Wengorovius. An amazing book, which every chef should read, in my modest opinion
If you had more time, what would you do?
Get married and have kids. Just kidding… or am I?
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