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Matthew Arnold
 
THE CHEFS

MARK WHITTAKER | MATTHEW ARNOLD

MATTHEW ARNOLD
Age:   31  
Career span:   16 years  
Experience: Young chef of the Year with Resort Hotels, then moved to the Windsor Restaurant at The Metropole in Brighton where he met fellow Room 4 Living chef Mark Whittaker. He later worked in Australia and The Fox at Patching in Sussex.  
Ambition: I've always wanted to work for myself and Room 4 Living has enabled me to that.  

Advice to others:

 If you have a passion for cooking and you can cope with the hours, it's well worth doing.  

What's your favourite restaurant?

 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire. The grounds of this country house restaurant are beautiful and most of the ingredients are grown in the gardens.  
What is your favourite food? Home-cooked. We live in an environment of rich, creamy foods, so it's nice to have something different.  
Which culinary tradition has most inspired you? The flavours and freshness of some foods in Thailand are exceptional – and it's often cooked in a little shed!  
What is your essential 'must have' piece of equipment in the kitchen?
 My radio. It takes your mind off the 'kitchen fever' if you're stuck in the kitchen too long.  
What is the most important course
in a restaurant?		 They're all equally important – any bad course can ruin
you're meal.		  
What is the dish that you would
most like to be remembered for?		 People seem to rave about my Thai fish cakes so I guess that would be nice to be remembered for.  
What do you think is the best
dish on the menu?		 I think our braised pork belly in a Szechaun sauce is gorgeous.  
What do you most enjoy about
the job?		 It's very creative and you get a great freedom being in a kitchen. I don't think I could sit in an office.  
What is your biggest gripe about
the hospitality industry in the UK?		 I don't think the wages of many chefs reflect the hours that they put in. That said, I think that chefs in the UK are gaining more respect.  
Is the customer always right? On the odd occasion, no, but we try to avoid any disappointment.  
Which TV chef do you
most admire?		 Raymond Blanc. He uses fresh ingredients in a great environment.  
What do you eat and cook at home?

Simple, healthy food.

  

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118-120 Portland Road • Worthing • West Sussex • BN11 1QA
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