Revelations: Michael McDaid, Northbank restaurant, Millennium Bridge, London

29 November 2019
Revelations: Michael McDaid, Northbank restaurant, Millennium Bridge, London

What was your best subject at school?

I think it was probably history

What was your first job?

I worked as a commis waiter in a Beefeater

What do you normally have for breakfast?

Tea and painkillers I'm afraid – the kitchen has taken its toll!

What do you do to relax?

I like reading and listening to music. I love all types of music. I mostly listen to 60s, 70s and 80s tracks as that's what my mum and dad used to listen to when I was growing up. When I get time, I also like to play golf. I've played for about 10 years, but I'm a bit of a late bloomer and I'm not that good – yet!

Which is your favourite restaurant?

St John in London is fantastic. The food, the feel, the people – how everything that comes through the door is treated with the utmost respect. It's simple cooking, but so much more

What's your favourite hotel?

Probably South Place hotel in London. I worked at Angler, which is on the top floor. The food was out of this world and the place has a good buzz about it

What is your favourite drink?

You can't beat a cup of tea

What is your favourite food?

It has probably got to be rustic British

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

I know this will be controversial but it's avocado – to me, it tastes like nothing

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

April Bloomfield at the Spotted Pig in New York – she gave me great opportunities and taught me a great deal

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

Golf clubs – I could use all that time working on my swing

If not yourself, who would you rather have been?

Thomas Keller – the chef and proprietor of the French Laundry in the Napa Valley, California

Tell us a secret...

I honestly don't have any. I live my whole life out loud (which I've been asked several times to stop doing)

What irritates you most about the industry?

The way that some guests are. I understand we are in hospitality and I want everyone that comes in to have an amazing time, but some people don't see how absurd they are being a lot of the time!

What's your favourite film?

Remember the Titans

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