Revelations: Olivier Briault, development chef, Kitchen by Liquid, Birmingham

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Olivier Briault, development chef, Kitchen by Liquid, Birmingham

What was your first job?

My first job was a trainee pastry chef at Pâtisserie Des Quatres Moulins in my home town of Normandy

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Yogurt and granola with a drizzle of maple syrup on weekdays. At the weekends I love making crêpes if I have the time, or sourdough, smoked salmon and poached eggs

What do you do to relax?

Long motorbike rides and swimming with my son

Which is your favourite restaurant?

For fine dining, I love the Connaught in London, but Asha's in Birmingham is the best curry I've had

What's your favourite hotel?

Recently I had the honour of cooking for a prestigious dinner at the Royal Automobile Club on behalf of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and I was lucky enough to stay overnight, it was beautiful!

What is your favourite food/cuisine?

I Iove the fundamentals of French cookery, but it's really interesting to see how classic techniques are being developed with the emergence of cuisines like Japanese and Scandinavian

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Margarine – I hate the smell, the texture and it will always produce an inferior product compared to butter

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with? If so, why?

I never use palm oil as it's high in saturated fats and terrible for the planet. I also try to use as many natural products as possible, for example I always use pure Canadian maple syrup in my cooking instead of blended syrups

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Cheese and pickle

Which person in catering have you most admired?

As a French pâtisserie chef, it must be Pierre Hermé, he defined modern patisserie and I have all his books

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

I would take a cow to provide milk – is that allowed?