This Southampton pub head chef has cooked for The Queen and makes the best Yorkshire puddings around.
Glyn Colderwood, from The Brewhouse and Kitchen in Highfield, talks washing up, the Royal Navy, the Lord Mayor of London and Gordon Ramsay in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"I have always worked in hospitality since the age of 13 doing washing up for my mum’s nursing home. So when I joined the Royal Navy and they asked me which branch it felt natural to go with what I had some experience in. I have got 29 years experience as a chef and 15 of those years were spent with the Royal Navy, travelling the world and learning from different cultures and some extreme conditions."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"It would have been a roast dinner that my mum told me to make her. It was roast chicken with all the trimmings, but you can’t beat your mum's cooking. The first meal I cooked voluntarily was chicken chasseur with creamed potatoes and vegetables."
Tell us a bit about your career so far…?
"My career has mainly been around the Royal Navy and I have struggled to find my place since leaving. When I left I took at job with the YMCA as a starting point to see where I would fit in with normal society. I’ve worked in nursing homes, pubs, at Paultons Park and doing contract catering. I tried getting out of hospitality for a bit of a break, but it always drags you back in."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"Winning the Salon Culinaire, beating the RAF, and Army to best in class. Also cooking for many royalties like our Queen at the time and producing cocktail parties for the Lord Mayor of London, which got me invited to the Queen's garden party."
What is your signature dish?
"It used to be curries, however since joining Brewhouse and Kitchen, I am known for my roast dinners and famous Yorkshire puddings, where I have been asked to go and teach different sites how to make them."
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"Spicy mac and cheese burger. Great value for money and elevates the normal burger to something exciting. It comes with our skin on fries and is coated in our own homemade special seasoning."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"Lavarro at the Anchor Inn in Eling as they offer “on the rocks” meals, which is a hot rock that you cook your own food to your own liking."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"I don’t really do much cooking at home, but I enjoy cooking gammon, egg and chips. My biggest problem is wrestling the cat for the gammon."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"I am a lager drinker. We're producing an Italian seasonal at the moment, which I am enjoying."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"Cheese and biscuits, especially at Christmas when the supermarkets starts to stock up on weird and wonderful flavours!"
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Cheese and milk. I can't live without a good cup of tea! Also garlic for steaks and sauces."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"The meats and home-made sausages. Living next door to the New Forest it is easy to find good farm shops and get the quality, freshness and value that you don’t get from larger stores."
Which chef do you most admire?
I do like Gordon Ramsay now. Obviously he is a great chef but, for me, it's not just about the cooking, its about the industry and teaching, he tries to help businesses and people, rather than just showing how good his cooking is. I watched him live quite a few years ago in London and he has a great sense of humour, and whilst at the YMCA his daughter's school stayed for the week and he is nothing like you see on TV."
What’s your career ambition?
"Brewhouse and Kitchen offers apprenticeships and I am doing a level 4 in hospitality front of house management as well as a future leaders course. My next step will be to look at becoming a Senior Head Chef where I can help others and then onto a General Manger role.
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"We are already seeing a lot of European influence within the industry but I feel we will be seeing more tapas on the menu as people like the sharing and different choices."
Would you like to appear in our meet the chef column?
We would love to hear from Hampshire chefs for our meet the chef column, which tells the beyond the kitchen tales of some of the best talent from across our region.
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