Chef of the Month
Stuart Plant, trained under Gary Rhodes and Ian
Morgan and has been head chef at Watersreach, part of
The Golden Tulip Hotel in Old Trafford since 2004.
Stuart Plant, trained under Gary Rhodes and Ian
Morgan and has been head chef at Watersreach, part of
The Golden Tulip Hotel in Old Trafford since 2004.
Stuart grew up in the Black Country with a mum who had
a passion for creative cooking. Meals at home were all
based on fresh local produce often using cheaper
ingredients like offal which proved a challenge to be
turned into something tempting. Stuart was encouraged
to cook at home, but school was a different matter.
Cookery at school was delivered as part of a home
economics package which no self respecting lad was
about to participate in and keep his street cred. Any
urge to cook professionally was submerged and Stuart
went into the building trade when he left school,
although he continued to enjoy cooking at home.
It wasn’t until 1999 that Stuart took the plunge and
started a catering course at college packing 2 years
of training into a mere 3 months. During that time he
started knocking on the doors of local restaurants
looking for work experience, Gary Rhodes was the
biggest local name back then and Stuart was invited in
for a working interview which he passed with flying
colours. Gary Rhodes mantra was that you had to earn
the respect of your colleagues by starting at the
bottom and working your way up which Stuart willingly
did, moving swiftly up the kitchen ladder to his
present position. Moving up the ladder may bring some
rewards but more time isn’t one of them. A typical day
starts around 10am working virtually straight through
until eventually came to an arrangement that I’d eat 2
main courses - but no pudding! 11’ish - but looking at this picture it we’d say
Stuart thrives on it. Stuart has given
us this seasonal recipe for you to try at home.
Vanilla poached pork
tenderloin, carrot puree, spinach, Confit garlic and
vanilla foam. |
 Q: What did
you find the hardest skill to learn? I
didn’t really - but I have no patience for pastry. I
do think that the hardest step up for a chef is to
executive chef which brings a whole new set of
challenges which relate to business rather than
cooking.
Q: Who cooks at home?
We have staff tea about an hour before evening service
- by the time you get home it’s too late to eat but I
enjoy cooking on my day off.
Q: What ingredient couldn’t
you live without? Meat!
Q: Is there any food you
won’t eat and why? There is nothing I
wouldn’t try, but I don’t like rice pudding - I think
it might be a school thing. I’ve never had a sweet
tooth, but they had a problem at school if you didn’t
each your dinner --I eventually came to an arrangement
that I’d eat 2 main courses --but no pudding!
Q: Favourite School Dinner?
Cottage Pie. I think we were lucky when I was growing
up school dinners were just that, properly cooked
meals.
Q: What piece of kitchen
equipment did you really want then never
use once you’d bought? It wasn’t for work - I once
bought a fondue set - its still in the box at home
unused.
Q: Who would you most like to
cook a meal for? I can’t think of any one
person. I love to cook for anyone who appreciates
food. Watersreach is open:
Monday to Friday 6.30am - 9.30pm, 12 - 2.30pm &
6-10pm. Saturday 7-10am & 6-10pm, Sunday 8-10am &
7-9.30pm. |
