Bloggerview with Phil Thompson Executive head chef @ Auberge du Lac, the only Michelin starred restaurant in Hertfordshire. Also a stalward of BBC's Great British Menu.

Phil Thompson

Executive Head Chef

Auberge du Lac

Welwyn
Hertfordshire
AL8 7XG
Tel ++44 (0) 1707 368888
 aubergeevents@brocket-hall.co.uk

Name: Phil Thompson

Occupation: Executive Head Chef at Auberge du Lac in Hertfordshire. Auberge is Hertfordshire's only Michelin-starred restaurant

Name your three desert island ingredients Bread, Bacon, HP sauce

What foodstuff would you bannish?

What would you have for your last supper? 
Spaghetti Bolognese

Turkey Twizzlers!

What's your favourite table?
My Mum's

What's your favourite tipple?

A G&T with a slice of cucumber

Which book gets you cooking ?
Larousse Gastronomique 

 What's your dream dinner party line-up? And what would you cook for them? My Mum, my Dad, my sisters, my Nan and my Granddad. I'd cook them a "help yourself" Roast Dinner

What was your childhood teatime treat?
My Mum's jam roll (strawberry jam)

What would you make to impress your partner?
Breakfast - waheey!

What was your most memorable meal?
Santi Santamaria (3 Michelin Star Chef in Spain who sadly passed away in February this year) once created a bespoke Tasting Menu for a group of us. Unbelievable food.

What was your biggest culinary disaster?

We had 250 guests at a wedding and halfway through serving the main course, I realised we'd run out of veg. I couldn't understand it until I opened the fridge and saw trays upon trays of veg that someone had forgotten to cook! PANIC!

What's the worst meal you've ever had?

I'm not naming names, but the meal was:

Red onion veloute, with far too many whole pink peppercorns
Rabbit Terrine with raw potato pont neuf running through the centre of it.
Well done, best end of lamb with blow your head off chilli lentils and Bisto skinned gravy
Burnt apple tart with scrambled egg Anglaise!

It. Was. Awful.

What's the most outlandish thing you've ever eaten?
Fillet of Horse - don't think it was my cup of tea!

Who's your food hero/food villain?

Food heroes are the Galvin brothers
Food villain - every Chef out there who cooks for their ego, not their customers

Nigella or Delia?
Nigella!

Gin or vodka?
Gin

Muesli or fry-up?
I'm training for the 2012 London Marathon at the moment so, Muesli!

Wine or beer?
Beer

Fast food or fresh food?

Fresh food

What do you consider the best of the best of British?
British meat, British strawberries, British banter!

What's the best/worst thing about the British restaurant scene?

Best thing - we're competing with some of the best Fine Dining restaurants in the world
Worst thing - we still have the "all day" carveries where the meat sits out, under a hot lamp for about 10 hours, crying out for help!

What do you think will be the next big thing?
England winning the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand

What would you do if you could choose any other career?

I'd play rugby for WASPS and England

Make a wish
If you tell a wish it doesn't come true!