Tell us a bit about you and your journey to becoming a chef…

I have always loved cooking – my mum was my inspiration – growing up I was amazed at what my mum would make from the simplest ingredients. Food was a huge part of our family life. I trained in trained in Scotland and the UK and have worked in the food & hospitality industry for the past 25 years.  I feel really lucky to absolutely love what I do every day hence my tagline of “For Life, For Loving, For the Joy of Cooking” ( this is for my catering company  Sense of Taste Catering  of 14 years ). I also have the first and only a gourmet hotdog diner called On a Roll-Dog Kitchen (3 years old) and I am co-owner of the Sense of Taste Chef’s School together with Chef Angie Boyd, now in its 2^nd year of operation.

Can you tell us a bit more about On a Roll?

Hot Dogs are my favourite food! And the damned Hamburger has had enough Limelight. Time for the lowly hot dog to take the spot light. So On a Roll-Dog Kitchen was born. It is a combination of Rockabilly Route 66 and 50’s Diner all rolled into one serving the most delicious gourmet dogs. The top sellers are ….Batman, Grandstand Swagger, Major League and the Big Oink!

What makes the perfect hotdog?

Fresh Sesame Crusted Bread Rolls (which we bake daily) and the best quality sausage (my own sausage recipe that I have made by my butcher).

Besides also running Sense of Taste Cookery School and you just released a book. You are a busy guy! Tell us a bit about the school…

“No rest for the wicked” as they say – together with good friend, colleague and business partner, Chef Angie Boyd, we have opened the Sense of Taste Chef School, now in its 2^nd year. Our school is internationally recognised by City & Guilds. We are both passionate about teaching and bringing a new generation of aspiration chefs into the South African Culinary Industry. Our approach is very hands -on practical training with all teaching done by ourselves at our state of the art kitchens in Cape Town. Our maximum annual intake is 16 students to ensure that the training is intense & personalised. Unlike most Chef schools, the students cook every day, sometimes twice a day. Applications are open for 2016 and we have 8 spaces left. Angie and I aim to have the best Professional Chef School in Africa.

What inspired the book and what can people expect to find in terms of the style of the recipes?

Without a doubt my cookbook ‘Sense of Taste’ has been one the greatest and proudest achievements! It has been a long time coming! I really  wanted to share my food experiences over the years and also show people how to appreciate food simply without confusing flavours. This is “uncomplicated food for any occasion”.

We have to ask about Batman, he is adorable! He has all the makings of a great sidekick, he’s cloaked in black, has big ears for listening and he’s seriously cute…! How does he fit into the picture?

And boy does he know he is cute! Batman was a surprise from Debs (my wife) for my Birthday 2 ½ years ago. He is a little rock star in his own right (LOL). Not sure about the listening but he certainly loves food and beer just like his dad.

For more information visit www.senseoftaste.co.za or www.onaroll.co.za

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