How long have you worked for Elite Pubs?

I joined Elite 8 years ago, in 2018 as a commis chef at The Farm House in West Malling.

Since then, I have worked my way around the kitchen and then becoming a roaming chef before accepting the Head Chef job here at The Pheasant Plucker in Sevenoaks.

I’ve had experience working with lots of teams across Elite and it was nice to set some roots at The Pheasant where I can create my own dishes!

Did you always want to be a chef?

I think from a young age I always liked baking.

I did cooking at GCSE and I’ve aways had an interest and passion for food and cooking so yes, you could say I knew it was something I was interested in doing after school.

For anyone who is aspiring to become a chef, what advice would you give them?

No matter what, you’re going to go through tough times in a kitchen, everyone goes through it as a chef.

So whenever you are at your lowest, always know your worth, It is hard working in a kitchen but remember to trust your instincts, always remember your value and don’t give up.

Do you have a favourite chef and why?

Yes, Gordon Ramsey. I grew up watching Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares so that inspired me I think too.

I like the way he comes across; he is very straightforward and tells you how it is and his cooking style is quite similar to mine, I think. He’s been a big role model for a lot of people.

Based off the new Summer menu, what would you say your new favourite dish on the menu is?

Currently my favourite is the Lamb Rump (served with potato pave, spring onions and a smoked rosemary jus). It is a light dish for meat lovers.

There’s a lot of components that go into the dish; we make the sauce from stock.

We roast the bones then boil it for a few days, so there a lot of thought that goes into the dish.

Is there an ingredient you cannot live without?

Basil. I cook with a lot of fresh herbs and ingredients across all our dishes.

Especially rosemary and thyme but basil is my favourite herb to use.

What would you like guests to know about the food we serve here at The Pheasant Plucker?

I would like our guests to know that we’re trying our best to serve fresh and good quality food.

If you compare us to a lot of companies around, I feel I want to stand out as a pub and I just want to serve good quality food, make customers happy and for them to come back!

I want the customers to enjoy the food at the end of the day and to come back time and time again.

What is one dish everyone should try when they come here?

On the new Summer Menu we have a beautiful salmon dish and also the kebab meal.

We’ve worked hard to make sure they taste beautifully and based on the feedback we’ve had so far I think we have done that.