| A few days ago I celebrated the third anniversary of my blog and talked about how far I'd come in those past three years. In August 2006 I was still at catering college when a former student from Raine's Foundation, my school in London's East End, came a poor fifth in the European Athletics Championships. |
| One year later, as I started my voyage towards professional status, he won European honours. In 2008, as I became a chef de partie in a Michelin-starred restaurant, he became World Indoor Champion. This year I'm doing well, but Phillips Idowu is doing even better. On Tuesday night he became World Triple Jump Champion. He inspires me to the unshakeable belief that, no matter where you start out in life, you can reach the skies if you really want it. |
| Postcript |
| This edited interview of Phillips Idowu by Richard Bacon on Radio 5 Live echoes everything I've said about hard work, aspiration, perseverance, supportive teachers, mountains and foothills, Rudyard Kipling's two imposters and everything that can be achieved if you really want it badly enough. |
2007 and moved to Spain, where I trained in Barcelona at Carles Abellan's Comerç 24 (which won its first Michelin star) and Martín Beresategui's Lasarte (which won its second Michelin star) and was chef de partie and later Pastry Chef to Paco Morales at the amazing hotel restaurant Ferrero in the Valèncian mountains. This Spring I returned to London as part of the team of celebrated Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes, opening East End restaurant Viajante. I'm still working with food, but taking a break from fine dining. Passionately pursuing my life-long ambition to become a top-class chef and, one day, a world-famous restaurateur.
4 comments:
I have been reading, although not commenting much. Congrats on the 3 years and the steady progress of your career. Wish you could blog more about the restaurant, because it's fascinating to see the rise of a chef :-)
Many thanks Chennette. I'd love to be able to post about the restaurant, but unfortunately that's the deal for now at least. Maybe after we get our first star... I'm posting about another pastry chef soon, though. I see you got a big BBQ in before Ramadan, lol!
Oh yeah...it's an enduring family tradition once everyone is home - BBQ! And pizza nights of course, but it's been far too hot to contemplate baking.
And I understand about the constraints of the job - my job can be a bit sensitive, so I stay anonymous. As far as I can anyway :-)
Wow i think its fascinating the way you have made such a success of yourself and the business. I love reading about people who strive for the impossible. Shoot for the srats and you nver know you just might
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