Revelations: Fay Hutchinson, head chef, Lilac, Lyme Regis

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Fay Hutchinson, head chef, Lilac, Lyme Regis

What was your best subject at school?

Art

What was your first job?

I worked at a handmade chocolate company when I was 14. I used to paint the chocolate boxes and occasionally help hand-roll the truffles. Dream job!

What was your first job in catering?

I took a job at an organic garden with a café called Hornuddens Trädgård in Strängnäs, Sweden, where I was volunteering while travelling. They specialised in growing a variety of huge tomatoes and had a beautiful café on the side of a lake. That was where my interest in food was first sparked

What do you do to relax?

Hang out with my cats Merlin and Morgan, listen to audiobooks, bingewatch a TV series or catch up with friends

What's your favourite hotel?

Anywhere with a nice spa and a pool will do for me

What is your favourite drink?

Barry's Tea. For something stronger, definitely a negroni

What is your favourite food/cuisine?

Mediterranean

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Not particularly keen on strawberry-flavoured things like chocolate or alcohol. It tends to be so cloying

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Angela Hartnett

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

I would have to say something practical like a fishing rod

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

My cat

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

Losing my sense of taste

When and where was your last holiday?

I popped back to Ireland for a few days last month to visit friends and family

When did you last eat a hamburger?

Nearly six months ago from a van at the stock car racing. It was…questionable

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

Toni Collette can play anyone