Ben’s Story

‘I sort of fell into the industry after a really rough childhood. I was fifteen years old and spent nearly two years as a kitchen porter for a crazy Spanish chef. She used to shout at me like mad for my whole shift but then at the end of service she would bring me over a dish she had cooked with her heart and soul, with the biggest smile – it was her way of saying sorry. I thought that was such a personal, sweet and genuine thing to do, despite her beasting me all service for being slow and inefficient!’

‘I can’t say I had any real interest in food until I reached the crossroads that most teenagers face when they leave school. At sixteen I came second in a cooking competition at Brighton City College and got the opportunity to go for a two-week unpaid stage at the renowned 2 Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton, Oxford. I remember my first morning so vividly; it was 6.30am and I was given until 8am to lightly blowtorch and peel 400 cherry tomatoes, having been shown precisely how to do it. By 11.10am I wasn’t even halfway through; I was being given a really hard time, and rightly so. I felt like crying with frustration at the failure of it all and I literally made the decision at that moment to dedicate myself completely to being a chef.’

‘I sought out and trained under some of the most skilled and revered Michelin-starred chefs on the planet, earning barely enough to get by and working so many hours that my family and social life was non-existent. I sacrificed everything that matters in anyone’s life and continually forced myself out of my comfort zone. High-end cooking is a lonely place at any level; it isn’t a job – it’s a lifestyle.’

‘I’m proud to say that I have grafted bloody hard for everything I have achieved; I have never been handed anything on a silver platter and have gone to insane lengths at times to create opportunities for myself. I have made catastrophic mistakes and been knocked down time and time again but I have got back up and pushed on, always learning and moving forward. This, for me, is what defines you as a chef – and as a person.’

‘The best thing is, I’m continually questioning and reinventing myself and I’m still learning; I haven’t even achieved 5{e5598f05e5a2f48a2b8279ae7f068b768e885fab3c1e2e5e148133b14947df16} of what I want to in this amazing industry. Having full creative and operational control at PuzzleProjects allows me to explore how I can bring together areas I feel intensely passionate about – delicious, accessible, affordable food, non-commercial music, film production, design and art – and create high-energy experiences. I have a huge amount to give back to an industry that keeps on providing me with challenging and inspiring opportunities to refine and master my craft; that’s what gets me up at 5am and that’s what keeps me coming back every day.’