Although obviously boasting the skills to open a new business, Mark has only ever had jobs in the kitchen. Mark credits his love of food to his upbringing and his first job as a teenager. Mark said: “I started cooking in my first kitchen job when I was 16.” Working in numerous kitchens after that, Mark’s decision to pursue a career as a chef didn’t happen until a little bit later. “I think my first main career change was when I was working at Le Manoir at the age of 20. But I had already been working in a few kitchens before that”, said Mark.
Speaking of his training, Mark said: “I did a two year apprenticeship and I went to Aylesbury College.” His career has also seen him work at The Thatch, under the wing of Raymond Blanc, and at the Michelin-starred Texture restaurant as a sous chef. Most recently, Mark has worked as an executive chef at The Bingham, Richmond, before deciding to fly solo and embark upon the opening of his new restaurant.
Mark’s decision to open an izakaya restaurant was very much influenced by the various Asian cultures that he experienced whilst travelling. “I went to Singapore and Malaysia”, says Mark, “I was also in Penang, an island just off Malaysia.”
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