Revelations: Jake O'Riley, head chef, South Place Chop House, London

02 November 2022
Revelations: Jake O'Riley, head chef, South Place Chop House, London

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Jake O'Riley, head chef, South Place Chop House, London

What was your best subject at school?

Maths and physics

What was your first job?

Breakfast chef, while I went to school

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Red Bull and a sausage roll

What do you do to relax?

I look after my poultry and my vegetable patch, with the dog, listening to house music

Which is your favourite restaurant?

The Angler in South Place or Core by Clare Smyth

What's your favourite hotel?

South Place, of course

What is your favourite drink?

Vodka, the craft stuff

What is your favourite cuisine?

I don't think any chef should limit themselves to one cuisine – we should be open to different flavours and experiences

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Halloumi

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with?

Kidneys, they stink up the kitchen

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Certain kinds of fusion are a farce

What do you always carry with you?

An optimistic perspective

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

A decent oyster knife

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Gary Foulkes (left) or Magnus Nilsson

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

Ramsay's done well for himself

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?

Something in fine art

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

Having the weekend off and having to spend it with family

What irritates you most about the industry?

People who don't treat it as a career

If you had more time, what would you do?

Plan my wedding instead of leaving my poor fiancée to do it by herself

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