Revelations: Kerth Gumbs, head chef, Ormer, Mayfair

What was your best subject at school?

In fourth grade, I picked food nutrition as a subject and I haven’t looked back

What was your first job?

My best friend and I opened our own pizzeria at the age of 16 back home

What do you normally have for breakfast? Usually a healthy shake and smoothies, but Sundays are a bit heartier

What do you do to relax?

I go for a massage or to the movies

Which is your favourite restaurant?

Muse by Tom Aikens was one of my best meals of 2020

What’s your favourite hotel?

I may be a bit biased here, but it would have to be Flemings hotel, where Ormer is located

What is your favourite food?

The amazing street food you can find in Thailand. It is great, humble and affordable

What do you always carry with you?

A small bottle of hand lotion

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Julian O’Neill has been a great mentor to me

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

Tom Aikens for his energy, creativity and style of food

Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?

Definitely my kids. They provide me with sense of purpose and are pretty entertaining too

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

As I was into track and field at school, I would be an athlete

Tell us a secret...

I am an open book! But I will have exciting news about Ormer Mayfair to share with you soon...

What irritates you most about the industry?

Nothing really, but lately I have been rather worried like everybody else about how resilient we can be with the current situation

When did you last eat a hamburger?

One weekend during lockdown when, like most chefs, I was in the hype of experimenting with making my own bread

Who would play “you” in a film about your life?

Actor Taye Diggs, he’s definitely a smooth operator…

What’s your favourite book?

I like to read children’s books to my kids, in particular The BFG by Roald Dahl