Revelations: Masha Rener, head chef, Lina Stores, London

03 May 2023
Revelations: Masha Rener, head chef, Lina Stores, London

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Masha Rener, head chef at Lina Stores, London

What was your best subject at school?

Philosophy

What was your first job?

I was a waitress in a coffee shop near Portobello Road in London

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Black coffee and then an apple or banana later in the morning

What do you do to relax?

Gardening at my home in Umbria

Which is your favourite restaurant?

Trattoria Lea in Città di Castello, Umbria

What's your favourite hotel?

The Orchid House in Polanco in Mexico City

What is your favourite drink?

An Old Fashioned

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Eel

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

No, but it's important that they have to be fresh and healthy

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Desserts that are a cold, gluey soup – there's a dessert like that popular in China, I think it's called tong sui

Which restaurant have you most admired?

Uliassi in Senigallia, a lovely restaurant on the Adriatic sea

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

My mum, she was also a chef

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

Marron glacé

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

A ballet dancer, if I can dream big!

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

Definitely working with plants

What irritates you most about the industry?

Food waste

When did you last eat a hamburger?

At Baobab in Milan

What's your favourite film?

Cloud Atlas

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

Uma Thurman

What's your favourite book?

Portraits of a Marriage by Sándor Márai

What is your favourite prepared product?

S&B Golden Curry sauce

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