Revelations: Bryn Williams, chef-patron, Odette's and Bryn Williams at Somerset House, London

What was your best subject at school?

 

What was your first job?
A paper round when I was 12

 

What was your first job in catering?
I worked in a local Welsh bakery when I was 12

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?
Roka in London with the family

 

What’s your favourite hotel?
Hôtel Costes in Paris

 

What is your favourite drink?
A good glass of Margaux

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?
Truffle in drinks. Truffles should be on a plate, not in a glass!

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?
Those who I’ve worked for â€" the ones who have given me their time. Marco Pierre White, Michel Roux Jr and Chris Galvin

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?
Alwyn Williams, the baker I first worked for and who encouraged me to go into hospitality

 

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?
Joe Allen, the Welsh ex-Liverpool footballer. He’s a professional but still loves a bit of country living

 

Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
A bottle of Margaux

 

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?
Working outdoors somewhere, probably on a farm

 

When did you last eat a hamburger?
In Paris, at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, with foie gras

 

What irritates you most about the industry?
Trends and fads. The hype always detracts from what a restaurant should be known for, which is the quality of the cooking

 

What is your favourite prepared product?
PizzaExpress pizzas

 

What’s your favourite book?
I always go back to Practical Cookery

 

Who would be in your ‘fantasy’ brigade?
The team I currently have, but with Marco Pierre White and Michel Roux Jr at the pass â€" they can fight it out

 

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