Revelations: Tom Cenci, executive chef, Maslow’s, London

What was your best subject at school?

 

Funnily enough, it wasn’t food. I always enjoyed maths and science

 

What was your first job?

 

I had a paper round and got paid about £6 a week. I hated it and used to dump the papers in the bin, and I ended up getting fired

 

What was your first job in catering?

 

Work experience at school. I wrote to all the local hotels and I was fortunate to be able to do two weeks at Cliveden, which later offered me a full-time position

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

A banana and espresso

 

What do you do to relax?

 

Spending time with my family and taking my son to the football

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

My favourite meal of the last year has to be Llama Inn London – every dish is a flavour bomb

 

What is your favourite drink?

 

Guinness, I don’t think I could live without it

 

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

 

Anything that’s inhumane, like foie gras

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

Never been a big fan of ginger in cooking, I find it very overpowering

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?

 

Eggs and beans should never mix, I can’t stand it. You always need a sausage wall

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

 

It’s hard to choose a single person – mostly it’s the chefs I work with. You can never stop learning and each person you work with can teach you something new, no matter what their role is

 

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

 

A chicken. It would keep me company, I can have a fresh egg every day, with the option of more chickens, and, when the time comes, a good roast

 

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

 

Myself, you can’t change who you are and should never have to

 

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

 

Cooking still, to quote the great singer Luke Combs: “I’d still be doin’ this if I wasn’t doin’ this”

 

When did you last eat a hamburger?

 

The Dexter cheese burger at Plimsoll in London. I always go there after watching Arsenal play with my son, it’s so so good

 

What is your favourite prepared product?

 

Crosta & Mollica’s Fiorentina pizza

 

Photo: David Robson