Revelations: Maura Baxter, executive chef, 65a, London

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week, Maura Baxter, executive chef, 65a, London

What was your best subject at school?

Art and home economics

What was your first job?

Kitchen porter

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Scrambled eggs with avocado and rye bread, and black coffee

What do you do to relax?

Wine! But I don’t really have plans right now for relaxing

Which is your favourite restaurant?

José on Bermondsey Street in London

What’s your favourite hotel?

Monart hotel and spa in Wexford, Ireland

What is your favourite cuisine?

French and most classic European cuisines

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

I’m not a fan of cucumber

What flavour combinations do you detest?

None really, if done well

What is your favourite drink?

A glass of a decent Saint-Julien Bordeaux

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Marco Pierre White

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

A few of the head chefs I worked with along the way

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

A coffee machine

What daily newspaper/website do you read?

Irish Independent and The Guardian

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

A farmer or a grower – something related to great produce

When and where was your last holiday?

Early last summer in Andalucia, sampling the local cuisine and drinking sherry

What irritates you most about the industry?

The many and ever-increasing inflationary pressures

When did you last eat a hamburger?

A month ago

If you had more time, what would you do?

Spend even more time in the kitchen