Member of the Month May 2022: Anthony Wright

 Here at The Staff Canteen, we feature a different member every month we think deserves to be celebrated - this month’s winner is Anthony Wright

As thanks for being a regular contributor to The Staff Canteen, Anthony will receive an item of TSC merch of his choosing and will be entered in our Member of the Year 2022 competition. The Staff Canteen Member of the Month feature is brought to you in association with Major. 

1) Current place of work, position

Head chef L20 Restaurant at Hugh Baird College Liverpool.

2) What is your cooking style and what should people expect from your food?

My cooking style is seasonal Modern British, and you can expect a well-balanced menu with modern and classic cooking techniques.

3) What is your favourite dish to cook and why?

Tough one but I love cooking classics like asparagus, hollandaise and a crispy egg or slow-cooked belly pork. But I also like to create new dishes like wood pigeon, sweetcorn, and bacon jam.

4) Name a food item/dish/ingredient that isn't considered "cheffy" but that you love to eat

I struggled with this but here it goes... Nutella? It doesn’t get used in most kitchens, but in my house, we make pancake tacos with Nutella every Saturday morning.  I love it.

5) What do you like about The Staff Canteen app and website?

It's good to see so many chefs interact with other chefs through The Staff Canteen app and website. Chefs have become more approachable with social media and The Staff Canteen. The app lets you look at different dishes, created by other chefs. You can see everyone’s personality. Plus it keeps you informed with news of what’s happening within the industry.

6) What are your plans for the future?

I'm currently working at the L20 restaurant at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool. I’m raising the standards of the next generation of chefs coming into the industry, it's great to pass my knowledge on to the students and instil a good work ethic. But maybe one day my own restaurant, when my kids are older.

7) As New York is set to ban the production and sale of foie gras, the UK government has backed out of plans to make importing it illegal. Where do you stand on such laws? Do you use foie gras at your restaurant?

Foie gras isn’t something you would see on my menus at the restaurant, due to the price bracket we put ourselves in at the college. We charge £18.50 for 3-course choice lunch menus. It was a good ingredient to use over the last 22 years of my career in kitchens, and the taste is so unique. There is an alternative on the market called foie royale and its closest taste on the market to foie gras. Foie Royale is an ethical alternative to foie gras. They ethically raise duck and geese that are bred for their meat. Their birds are raised on high welfare farms enjoying the freedom to roam from an early age and are naturally fed.