Chef of the Month
Michael Wheatley is the Head Chef from
OCA at Sale’s Waterside Plaza. Before running the
kitchen at Oca, 27 year old Michael (or “Mikey” to his friends) perfected his
skills as a pizziola chef with the Pizza Express restaurant on Manchester’s King
Street, but started his career much further afield at the Condotti restaurant in
Ilkley, where Mikey first learnt his way around a professional kitchen.
Q What inspired you to be a chef?
I have always loved food and often cooked at home with my parents. It wasn’t
very trendy to want to become a chef when I was growing up, but it never
deterred me from the dream. I saw lots of chef’s on TV during my teens who
influenced me - even the legend that is Delia Smith inspired me to want to cook
as a profession! I haven’t regretted it for a second. I love seeing people enjoy
the food that I have created - I still get a real buzz from it.
Q What did you find the hardest skill to learn?
People management and patience. I know that’s two skills, but in my experience
they go hand in hand and are both a challenge.
Q What ingredient(s) couldn’t you live without?
Coffee and chilli (not together though!)
Q Who cooks at home?
All my flatmates like to cook, but I do on special occasions or if there’s a new
recipe that I want to try out on them. They’re willing guinea pigs though. I
love cooking home comfort foods, although our parents will probably always make
them best. I love to make a traditional steak & kidney pie, bangers (using the
best pork sausages from my local butcher) & wholegrain mustard mash or my
knock-out chilli bowls.
Q Is there any food you won’t eat and why?
No, I’ll try anything once. I don’t think people should be afraid to try
something new. Food is and so on, so be adventurous and try something different
- you may just like it!
Q What is the worst dish you have ever cooked?
My worst dish was my attempt to cook pasta with a white wine sauce for my first
girlfriend - fortunately I have improved significantly since then.
Q What piece of kitchen equipment did you really
want then never use once you’d bought it?
A tomato slicer. |
 Q Is
there any food you won’t cook and why?
I’m pretty adventurous with food. Happy to cook most things provided I like the
idea of what I am cooking. In my job at OCA I have to cook food that is widely
popular, so that the menu has a broad appeal, but at home I can use obscure
ingredients and try out slightly more unusual new recipes.
Q Favourite school dinner?
Burger and chips. Not very P.C. in this age of healthy school meals I know, but
true for me.
Q Who would you most like to cook a meal for?
Gordon Ramsey or Heston Blumethal. I admire both of them for the contribution
they’ve made to bringing the use of high quality food ingredients to the food
loving masses.
Q If you weren’t a chef, what would you have been?
I would have loved to have acted or been a comic book artist. Something that
puts my creative talents to good use!
Q Is there someone/or some occasion you have cooked for
that gave you great pleasure?
Definitely. I arrived home from Manchester a few years ago for my parents’
retirement party, at which dad was intending to do all the cooking, but in true
chef style (and so they could spend more time with their guests) I relieved him
of the wooden spoon and took over so at the helm of the kitchen, whipping up a
celebratory meal for the hungry party. It stands out as a meal that I really
enjoyed cooking, not because it was particularly fancy or gourmet, but because
they hadn’t asked or intended me to do it, plus, it was also very satisfying to
be able to do something good for them after everything they have done for me.
To book a table at OCA, Telephone
0161 962 6666
Michael recipe:
Soy Soy Summer Salmon
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