What does cooking mean to you?
My philosophy is really quite simple at its heart: use the very best seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, treat them with complete respect, and let them do the talking. Everything I cook is ingredient-led. Growing up in Norfolk, I helped my mother in the garden from the age of six, planting, weeding and picking all the lovely vegetables. We would then bake and preserve what we grew, and I learned very early about the seasons and what grows when, and that great cooking starts long before you ever pick up a knife.
At Muse, every dish is a memory reworked, a fun resonant story told through flavour. Whether it's the smell of freshly baked bread or the taste of jam we made from fruit we grew ourselves, I want food to feel personal, warm and honest. That connection to where food comes from, and why it matters, is what drives everything I do. We aim to evoke warmth, curiosity and a sense of home — those quiet, treasured moments around the table that stay with you. Beyond nostalgia, we want guests to feel connected: to the ingredients, to the people who produce them, and to each other. The experience should be intimate, thoughtful and a little playful, a story told through flavour that lingers long after the meal.
How much can good food impact both body and mind?
Enormously, and I don't think people give it enough credit. Food genuinely makes people happy, I'm certain of that. It's not just about what you eat, it's the care behind it: where it came from, who grew it, how it was cooked. I train hard alongside a long day in the kitchen, and I always say a workout isn't just good for the body but for the mind too. Food works the same way. Get the sourcing and the simplicity right and it nourishes both.
Seasonality and locally sourced produce are incredibly important factors in the preparation of any menu I create. I believe in harvesting the freshest and best ingredients that the changing seasons bring. I never use produce that has been flown into the country from thousands of miles away and is out of season, unless it's tropical fruit. Food that is unsustainable, or harvested or caught without respect for nature and the environment, is strictly against my beliefs. Supporting locally based suppliers is central to my ethos — this includes using only locally caught fish. I will never serve tuna, Chilean sea bass, swordfish or any fish that is not from local fishermen.
What does it mean to share your food with people?
It's the whole point. My favourite people to cook for are my wife Justine and my two daughters. Cooking for family is the most rewarding thing I do: no pressure, none of the restaurant intensity, just good food shared. Even at Muse, guests leave with a box to take home, a nightcap, tea, a pastry and jam for the next morning, because I want the experience to carry on beyond the table. You won't always remember exactly what you ate, even at the very best restaurant, but you'll remember who you were with and how it felt. That's what sharing food really is.
One ingredient you wish everyone used more and why?
A really good olive oil. I always come back to it, the best pleasures in cooking are the simplest ones: good olive oil, coarse sea salt, a touch of balsamic or sherry vinegar. Get those right and they lift almost anything, from a simple tomato salad to a roast vegetable. People underestimate how much a genuinely good oil changes a dish.
A simple cooking tip to upgrade any meal?
Season and finish properly. Coarse sea salt, good black pepper, a really good olive oil and a touch of acidity, lemon juice or a splash of vinegar, right at the end. It's the same principle whether I'm dressing a tomato, finishing a roast sweet potato or a piece of fish. Don't overcomplicate it; let good ingredients do the talking and finish them properly.
Three healthy, easy recipes I love:
Avocado and poached egg on sourdough — my go-to when I want something that feels indulgent but is genuinely good for you. Smashed avocado on good sourdough toast, a poached egg, the right amount of chilli, fresh coriander, a little lime zest and juice, a touch of olive oil, some finely sliced spring onion, coarse salt and pepper. Simple, but nail the seasoning and it's a proper dish.
Rye porridge with blueberry compote and chia seeds — this is what I'd call the ultimate healthy start to the day. Warming, energy-packed, delicious. My own everyday version at home is hot porridge with prunes, desiccated coconut, cinnamon and vanilla, with a glass of blood orange juice on the side.
Homemade sourdough — bread is the ingredient I feel most connected to as a chef, and it travels with me everywhere, from Norfolk to France to the Caribbean. At its simplest it's just flour and water plus a well-fed mother starter: mix, autolyse, fold every hour a few times to build structure, bulk prove, shape, then a long slow prove in the fridge overnight before baking hot in a cast iron pot. Making it for the first time is like riding a horse — it senses your hesitation. Once you trust your hands, you're in control.
