Who would do the graft needed to be a Head Chef in the 21st century?
Did the Covid-19 pandemic change the restaurant industry forever?
And what is it like to have a Michelin star?
In this weekâs 5 Big Questions interview we talk to Executive Chef of Akoko THEO CLENCH
Instagram: @cheftheoclench | @akokorestaurant
Twitter: @akokorestaurant
Known for:
- Executive Chef - Akoko
- Brand Ambassador - Krug
- Former Head Chef - The Portland Restaurant (one Michelin star)
- Former Head Chef - Bonhams Restaurant (one Michelin star)
The Big 5 Questions:
- How do you measure the impact of what you do?
- How should people/businesses be preparing for the future?
- How do we build the workforce we need for that future?
- How do you use creativity to solve problems?
- How do you collaborate?
Key quotes:
âIt was twelve, thirteen years of climbing the ladder. Starting at the bottom every time.â
âI think every restaurant has little photos of all the critics in the cloakroom somewhere, that you see before you go into the kitchen every morning.â
âMy friends who are now at Head Chef level - we donât run our kitchens like they were run when we were junior. Youâve got to get the best out of people and screaming and shouting at them all the time is not the way to do it. Youâve got to build up their confidence, build up their skills. As clichĂ©d as it is, you are only as good as your team.â
âBrexit has decimated our industry and many industries, especially combined with Covid. People have gone home and canât come back.â
âTrying to get the next generation in is the only way that weâre going to be able to fix this, in the long term. But trying to entice them into an industry thatâs had some bad press before, all the long hours, itâs tough. It takes a certain type of person to want to put the work in. Iâve done years of hundred hour weeks.â
âEveryone spent a year at home and you couldnât go out. So people were cooking a lot more at home and becoming very good home cooks. I think that may be the death of the chains and the casual restaurants. Why would you go out and drop thirty quid when you can make a nice meal at home?â
Useful links:
âChef To Watchâ profile of Theo in The Staff Canteen // thestaffcanteen.com/Britain-s-Got-Talent/chef-to-watch-theo-clench-executive-chef-akoko#/
Akoko restaurant, Fitzrovia // akoko.co.uk/
Theo Clench appointed executive chef at Akoko (The Caterer) // thecaterer.com/news/theo-clench-appointed-executive-chef-akoko
Jimi Famurewa reviews Akoko in the Evening Standard: // standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/akoko-restaurant-review-jimi-famurewa-b942139.html
Trinity restaurant // trinityrestaurant.co.uk/
Portland restaurant // portlandrestaurant.co.uk/
This episode was recorded in November 2021
Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible
Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts