| Who were your biggest influences/inspirations for becoming a chef? My uncle, who is a chef in the U.K.; and Marco Pierre White and Phil Howard. If you knew you were going to be exiled to a desert island, what three ingredients or food items would take with you?
Sriracha sauce, the best soy sauce I could find and a spear gun. What do you think is the most overrated food trend right now? Gels, and also a 30-course tasting menu. Is there any type of cuisine that you would like to experiment with? I would like to incorporate more Indian flavours. What are the essential ingredients for success in the restaurant business today? Surround yourself with great people. If you could invite any person to dinner, alive or dead, who would it be and what would you cook? Ricky Gervais or Howard Stern. I would cook wild spring salmon that I caught that day.
What strategies do you use to attract and retain good kitchen staff? Letting my team use good products and keeping things moving in the kitchen. Can you share a tip for controlling your food costs? Use everything that comes in the door. What’s in your fridge right now? Salmon I caught on the weekend, bread from Vancouver shops Terra Breads and cheese from “Les amis du fromage.” Do you have any culinary guilty pleasures? Food treats that you couldn’t live without? Popcorn, amazing olive oil, Maldon Sea Salt, Thomas Haas chocolates. Any other interesting information, personal interests or recipes you would like to share?
I’m very excited about launching my Hawksworth Restaurant Young Chef Scholarship in the fall. It’s a culinary foundation created to recognize and inspire young chefs while promoting professionalism and culinary excellence within the hospitality industry. Through its annual competition, the scholarship program provides a platform for talented young chefs to get a head start with an amazing opportunity to work in the country’s leading restaurants. | 
