Chef revelations: Tom Peters, head chef, Bob Bob Ricard, London

What was your best subject at school?

 

PE was the only thing I was good at until I discovered cooking

 

What was your first job?

 

Washing dishes in a restaurant in Petersfield, Hampshire, when I was still at school

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

A smoothie or a cheese and ham sandwich on the go

 

What do you do to relax?

 

I enjoy running, but not so much on the streets of London in the winter. I like to get out of town and go cross-country

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my meals at Trinity

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London – I have a few friends who work there

 

What is your favourite drink?

 

Pinot Noir-driven Champagnes. My girlfriend is a sommelier, so we enjoy exploring wines together

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

Chorizo

 

What is your favourite food?

 

I love classic English comfort food – pie and mash and sticky toffee pudding

 

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

 

If I never eat or cook tofu again I’ll be perfectly happy

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?

 

Acidic fruit and bitter chocolate

 

How would you describe your desk?

 

Surrounded by cookbooks that I never have the time to read

 

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

 

Doughnuts from Crosstown

 

Tell us a secret...

 

I can’t bear multicoloured socks in the kitchen. It makes me cringe. I have a rule that all socks must be black!

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

 

Thomas Keller

 

What irritates you most about the industry?

 

Self-acclaimed food critics

 

When did you last eat a hamburger?

 

Last week from Borough Burger Box

 

What is your favourite prepared product?

 

Black garlic

 

If you had more time, what would you do?

 

Visit more vineyards