Diversity in food good for development, says British chef

By Natalia Ningthoujam

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Chinese, Indian and Spanish dishes are welcomed with open arms in the UK, says British chef Adam Simmonds, who also believes that having a diverse cuisine is good for the development of a country.

Asked which cuisine is most popular in London, Simmonds told IANS here: "It has become so diverse now. In London, it is so multicultural. There are so many amazing Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Spanish cuisines available. They are just growing massively. The UK as a whole, and not just London, has some of the best cooking in the world for sure."

"It is only enhancing the UK as a Mecca for food. Every country needs to develop and to have different cuisines... the whole thing is brilliant," he added.

The owner of The Test Kitchen, which is a pop-up located in Soho, London, was here for the launch of Gurugram-based delivery-cum-dine-in kitchen concept -- The Trial. It is a blend of chefs, entrepreneurs and innovative food concepts.

"What I am trying to do back home is to try to bring interaction from the restaurant into the kitchen. There are no barriers. It's about engaging the customer more within the cooking," he said.

And that's what he is trying to do at The Trial.

"There are three types of chefs here. If the concept fits, one of us will work on it," said the chef, who enjoys cooking Scandinavian food.

"It is a concept that I believe in. So, I thought it was a great project to be involved with. Indians are travelling more. They go abroad a lot. They like the style of food; so why can't something like that work in this country?"

After his maiden visit to India earlier this month, he hopes to return to the country soon and learn more about the indigenous spices.

"I would like to learn how to work with spices properly and to understand it. In my next trip, I would like to see some grassroot stuff to help me understand more about the culture and food," said the chef, who has been to The Maldives, Denmark, France, Spain and Netherlands.

Simmonds believes there is a "skill-set" in cooking .

And there's a "great skill level in cooking fish" which is why he likes to prepare dishes with fish as the star ingredient.

He is also a fan of food that is very light and not too robust.

"With the lightness, you get to know all the flavours. If there are just two to three items on the plate, you can showcase your skill set. You can't hide behind the flavours. It's about making it clean and vibrant," said the former head chef of Ynyshir Hall, which won a Michelin Star in 2006.

But it's not easy being a chef.

"There are long working hours, it's stressful and you are criticised. You are constantly judged on each and every dish. People think they know more. It is quite difficult sometimes, but you have to accept it," said Simmonds.

"If you do crack it and enjoy it, it's the best industry to be in," he added.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)