Chef profile: Angus Kitchin, chef patron at Chap Bistro

Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m Angus, the chef patron of Chap Bistro, a French bistro located within the Haggerston Pub in Dalston. Despite the fancy title, I don’t actually have any staff, so I take on the roles of head chef, KP, accountant, handyman—you name it. The list grows every week.

 

What’s your favourite thing about where you work?
Honestly, I love the location. I get to walk down Kingsland Road every morning, grab a coffee, and stop at the bakery for my bread. It’s the perfect London chef commute in my opinion. Plus, I pass two excellent sandwich shops and two huge charity shops that are treasure troves for cookbooks.

 

What was your first job in catering?
I started as front of house at a wedding venue near where I grew up while I was still in school. My first kitchen role was as a KP at a pub where a friend worked the bar.

 

What do you do to relax?
All sorts, really. Anything that helps me switch off from the restaurant. Painting Warhammer models is by far the most effective.

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?
Bouchon Racine at the Three Compasses is definitely one of my top choices. It’s the perfect restaurant, and I can’t get enough of Henry Harris’ cooking.

 

What is your favourite food/cuisine?
French, of course

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?
Rose water—I just can’t enjoy those overpowering floral flavours

 

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with? If so, why?
I have a hard time with tripe, which is a bit embarrassing. When I was eight, my nan used to boil huge pots of it in her caravan for her dogs during our camping trips. The smell left a lasting impression on me.

 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
My first head chef once told me to always imagine him standing behind me, critiquing my work. If my section was messy, he’d tell me to clean it; if my plating was sloppy, he’d say to fix it. Even now, I hear John’s voice telling me to hurry up. It’s surprisingly grounding when service gets intense.

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?
Dominic Robinson. I worked with him at the Blackbird early in my career and owe most of my training to him. Very few plates leave my kitchen that aren’t influenced by Dominic in some way.

 

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?
I trained as a chef during my law degree, so I’d probably be using that, cooped up at some desk in a suit proofreading contracts. Either that or I like to think I’d be a voice actor. I do a very good Kermit the Frog.

 

Describe your ultimate nightmare?
I actually have a recurring nightmare that I’m not wearing trousers in a geography lesson. Take from that what you will.

 

Tell us a secret...
I wish I had something juicier, and honestly, it isn’t much of a secret, but I did help train Will Poulter for his role in The Bear season 2. He even did a full service with us and stayed for the clean-down. I think he’s wasted on the big screen; the guy would absolutely kill it in the kitchen.

 

What irritates you most about the industry?
Ego. I see a lot of talented chefs let their egos get the better of them. At the end of the day, we’re just making dinner. Also, the phrase ‘hidden gem.’

 

Who would play "you" in a film about your life?
He looks nothing like me, but I would love Nicolas Cage to do it. I think it’d add a real layer of panache if I were inexplicably played by Nicolas Cage.

 

Who would be in your "fantasy" brigade?

• Susannah Hunt – Ex Quo Vadis, currently travelling
• Deniz Nisancioglu – Catalyst Coffee, Holborn
• Flossy Phillips – Butcher Shop, Mayfair