He's the top Southampton hotel head chef who has been cooking up a storm in Hampshire and elsewhere since the age of eight.
Russell Haydon, of Leonardo Bar and Grill at the Leonardo Hotel Southampton, talks yacht clubs, curry and cheese in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"I always had a passion for food and wanted a career doing something I enjoyed."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"As a young child I used to work school holidays helping my grandmother who worked at The Royal Southern Yacht Club. I was cooking scrambled eggs and sausages for breakfast from eight years old."
"My career really developed after I moved to Northern Ireland in 2014. I spent two years learning at Galgorm Manor before working in busy Belfast city centre. I went up the ranks at Benedicts of Belfast and that was my first head chef position which was a steep but valuable learning experience. I moved back to England after covid lockdowns and enjoyed doing fine dining in Oxford before moving down south."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"I spent two years learning from an old school head chef who was tough on me but I learnt everything I could from him. Several years later he dined in a hotel where I was head chef with my own recipes on the menu. He came to see me after dinner to say how amazing the food was and that he was proud of what I’d achieved. Hearing that from a former mentor meant a lot."
What is your signature dish?
"My dish would have to be 48hour slow braised beef short rib with horseradish mash potatoes and baby vegetables. I spent over a year experimenting with my cooking temperatures and flavours going into the meat before I was satisfied."
"I’m a big curry fan and we currently have Thai green curry on our menu. For me it has to be bright, fresh and vibrant with just the right amount of heat."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"When I get a Sunday off I love a roast dinner and The Four Horseshoes in Nursling has great food with a friendly atmosphere."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"When the weather permits, it's anything on the barbecue in the garden."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"I enjoy a nice light Pinot Noir."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"Any and all types of cheese."
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Butter, chefs can make anything taste better with butter."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"Locally caught Bream."
Which chef do you most admire?
"Two of my previous head chefs learnt from Marco Pierre White and have passed down so much knowledge and techniques so I have huge admiration for him."
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"After years of austerity and then covid I think people are ready for a bit more luxury in their dining experience. Great quality food that isn’t overpriced."
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