Revelations: Sam White, head chef, 45 Jermyn Street, London

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Sam White, head chef, 45 Jermyn Street, London

What was your first job?

Pot wash in a local restaurant in Somerset called Pod Shavers, which was in a converted cowshed

What do you do to relax?

Run around Greenwich Park or go swimming

Which is your favourite restaurant?

The Sea Horse in Dartmouth

What is your favourite drink?

A good single malt

What is your favourite food/cuisine?

I love Italian food for its simplicity and emphasis on using the best seasonal produce. I love a pizza

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

Liquorice

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

I’m very conscious of sourcing responsibly. Preferably locally and seasonally, so if it’s out of season with high food miles, I tend not to use it

What flavour combinations do you detest?

Avocado and coffee

What do you always carry with you?

The bags under my eyes

How would you describe your desk?

Organised – a tidy workplace is a tidy mind

Which person in catering have you most admired?

Will Beckett, co-founder and chief executive of Hawksmoor

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

My wife

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

Probably a Formula 1 driver living in Monaco

Describe your ultimate nightmare?

The ticket printer not stopping

Tell us a secret

I was the first British chef to be employed by the French Embassy in London

What irritates you most about the industry? Food waste