Revelations: Roberta Hall, head chef/owner, the Little Chartroom, Edinburgh

What was your first job?

Shopkeeper

What was your first job in catering?

Apprentice chef at the Tower restaurant, Edinburgh

What is your favourite food?

British game

Which is your favourite restaurant?

Lyle's in London

What's your favourite hotel?

Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall

What is your favourite drink

Elderflower gin and tonic

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Yuzu

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Chocolate and venison

How would you describe your desk?

A couple of notebooks stacked inside an empty roasting tray

Which people in catering have you most admired?

Tom and Michaela Kitchin. It's been fascinating watching them grow their business over the past 10 years

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

Dominic Jack, chef-patron at Castle Terrace in Edinburgh

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

Hand cream

What daily newspaper/ website do you read?

The Scotsman

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

Dame Maggie Smith

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

Event planning

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

Camping

Tell us a secret…

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my guilty pleasure

What irritates you most about the industry?

No shows

What's your favourite film?

The Empire Strikes Back

Who would play "you" in a film about your life?

Natalie Portman

What is your favourite prepared product?

Pistachio paste

If you had more time, what would you do?

Travel the world, trying all the different cuisines it has to offer