Chef profile: Chris Boustead, co-owner of Linden Stores

What was your best subject at school?

Unsurprisingly it was food tech. I didn’t learn to cook at home and food tech was one of the few subjects I felt I stood out in.

 

What was your first job?

My first job was in the sink at a local pub. My best mate at the time got me to cover his shift and I managed to get my foot in the door.

 

What was your first job in catering?

Whilst KP-ing a few prep jobs were thrown my way and my first proper kitchen job was at Peppers, a rosetted restaurant in Scarborough. Head chef Jon was the first person to really see and nurture the spark in me for cooking.

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Most days I don’t have breakfast – years of staff food have thrown my eating schedule out the window, but when I have the time on a day off you can’t beat a good bacon sandwich. It has to be smoked streaky though.

 

What do you do to relax?

I love to walk around where we live in Knutsford. Sometimes with our son Ollie, 7, sometimes by myself with a podcast. It clears the mind and is a great time to think about menus, dishes and inspiration.

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

Riley’s fish shack in Tynemouth. I love how seasonal it is with the beach as the restaurant in the summer and its special memories for us as a family.

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

To be honest we hardly ever stay in hotels as we prefer to cook whilst we’re on holiday.

 

What is your favourite drink?

I used to be mainly a beer drinker but since meeting my partner Laura (co-owner of Linden Stores) I love a good glass of wine. My post-service staff drink is an English Pet Nat - Lost in a Field ‘Frolic’.

 

What is your favourite food/cuisine?

It goes without saying it’s seasonal British, but my guilty pleasure is really great fried chicken. I cook a lot from Carl Clark’s The Whole Chicken.

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Avocado. I’ve said it before it’s not the ingredient itself, it’s what it represents, a complete lack of seasonality and sustainability.

 

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with? If so, why?

Store bought pasta – years of staff food have put me right off the stuff.

 

What do you always carry with you?

A notebook for ideas, a bag for foraging at the right time of year and a pack of playing cards to keep Ollie busy.

 

How would you describe your desk? 

My desk is my pass and I like it to be clean, tidy and organised. During prep this can be a bit debatable!

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Rather than a specific person I really admire those who keep going even when things don’t go their way. It’s a hard business and I really look up to those who keep their passion and get back up, after things haven’t worked out.

 

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?

The kitchen has given me so much beyond just the cooking skills – structure, friendships, camaraderie – so I don’t like to think!

 

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

I have a reoccurring nightmare of not being set for service.

 

Tell us a secret...

As a child I was an extremely fussy eater.

 

What irritates you most about the industry?

The fact that many people still do not view it as a long-term skilled career route.

 

Who would be in your “fantasy” brigade?

• Jamie Thickett – my old Head Chef from Salt Yard Group
• Billy Stock – Sete, Margate
• Kory Bebbington – this one is a dream come true as he’s with us at Linden Stores