Image: Ben Walker-Hall
Chef Walker-Hall began his career as a part-time commis chef/chef de partie at a Bib Gourmand restaurant near his hometown of Kettering, just a year later he was then promoted to full-time senior chef de partie.
While studying for his degree, Ben would work within the industry during his breaks from University. In the summer of his first year he worked as a temporary full-time chef de partie at a four star, two rosette restaurant. In the summers of his second and third year, Ben worked as a part-time senior chef de partie at a Michelin plate restaurant.
While waiting for a job opportunity outside of hospitality to arise, Ben continued to work in the industry. He worked as a full-time senior chef de partie at a one rosette, Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant.
Ben then worked as a senior chef de partie at a hotel. After two months of working as acting head chef due to the previous head chef’s departure, Ben was then promoted to full-time sous chef. Whilst working at this hotel, Ben and the team were awarded their third rosette and four red star status.
Mr Walker-Hall then worked as a head chef at a hotel, followed by working as a sous chef at a restaurant and then for, what would be, his final stint in the industry he worked as a senior sous chef at one of the Dorchester Collection hotels.
How did you first get into the restaurant industry?
I began working in the industry following a week long work experience placement, arranged through my secondary school at local ‘gastro’ pub. I began in the position of a part time kitchen porter.
What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you when working in a kitchen?
The Head Chef and Sous Chef left a hotel that I had just started working at. This meant that within 1 month of starting, I was left in charge of the 50 bedroom, 4 star hotel with a team of 8 chefs. It was a far bigger operation than I had ever worked in. This meant I was working 7 days a week, 18 hours a day for nearly 2 months.
What were your average hours each day/week?
Whilst working part time I worked several evenings and most weekends. When I began working in full-time positions, I worked on average 6 days a week from 8am until 11pm.
What was your daily routine as a chef?
Firstly I check and pack away deliveries, then I would attend the morning senior managers meeting, then commence with morning prep, then it would be morning tastings – tasting menu items to ensure consistency, then I would set up for lunch service, do lunch service usually from 12pm until 14:30pm, clean down the kitchen, do the dinner prep, do the dinner tastings, set up for dinner, do the dinner service from 7pm to 9pm, clean down and close the kitchen, fill out the prep lists for the following day and then carry out the supplier orders.
Three words to describe how it was to work as a chef.
Adrenaline, Stress, Dedication.
When you were working as a chef, did you ever cook for famous people and if so, who?
I have cooked for Mary Berry, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Sultan of Brunei and Simon Cowell.
As you were cooking for a job, did it take the fun out of cooking in your own time?
Oh definitely. I rarely cooked on my days off. I just ate out at restaurants and ordered takeaways!
What were the perks of being a chef?
Good wages in senior roles, uniform and meals supplied, no shortage of jobs – people will always need chefs and great possibilities to travel with the job. Working as a chef gave me geographical freedom, I could move anywhere and pick up a job relatively easy.
Smoked Salmon and horseradish frisse Image: Ben Walker-Hall
Chefs are renowned for being open about their views on vegetarianism/veganism, what are yours? Have yours changed since you left the industry?
Whilst working as a chef I would cater for dietary needs however I would also make it clear that I was not too happy to have to change dishes which had taken months to create. However, upon leaving the industry I am far more open to vegetarianism and I, myself eat several vegetarian meals a week.
If you were to have a steak, how would you want it to be cooked?
Rare…it has to be.
Which celebrity chef’s book would you buy?
Personally, I would not buy any ‘mainstream’ books but there are many smaller publications from award winning chefs that are less well-known that I would buy. For example, Sat Bains, Marco Pierre White, David Everitt-Matthias, Daniel Humm.
Has the kitchen evolved, in regards to technology, since your first job? If so, how?
Most definitely. Kitchens of today are more comfortable to work in due to air conditioning, induction hobs and advances in kitchen designs. Kitchens are also far more efficient due to these Techniques such as sous vide cooking, aeration and dehydration are also becoming very popular in kitchens - changing the very way that food is cooked.
Ingredients have also advanced, for example, the use of chemicals in molecular gastronomy. There is also a much larger variety of ingredients available to chefs now, than when I first began working in a kitchen.
After a twelve-year career in the industry, Ben has recently hung up his chef whites.
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