Revelations: Roberta Hall McCarron, executive chef and owner, the Little Chartroom and Eleanore

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week, Roberta Hall McCarron, executive chef and owner, the Little Chartroom and Eleanore, Edinburgh

What was your best subject at school?

Craft and design, and home economics (the cooking part)

What was your first job?

Margiotta newsagents in Edinburgh when I was 15

What do you normally have for breakfast?

It varies, but I do enjoy a plain scone

What do you do to relax?

Read, go for a walk, or hunker down on the sofa with a good TV box set Which is your favourite restaurant?

Hawksmoor ticks all the boxes for me. Great steak, great staff and it’s relaxed and big enough that I feel comfortable bringing my young daughter out for dinner

What’s your favourite hotel?

Gleneagles near Auchterarder, for a treat

What is your favourite drink?

A glass of Champagne or sparkling wine

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with?

Salmon and foie gras for obvious reasons What flavour combinations do you detest?

Venison and chocolate – I just don’t get it Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

On a personal level – my parents, my dad has always inspired me to work hard, whilst my mum has always inspired me to be creative. On a professional level – Angela Hartnett. I have never worked with her, but always admired the way she carries herself and goes about her business

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

Public speaking

**Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?*8

Crisps and dip

What daily newspaper/website do you read?

The Independent Tell us a secret…

If I hadn’t become a chef then I would have been a florist