The man behind the chef: Chris Harrod

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In the build up to The Staff Canteen Live 2015 at the Hospitality Show 2015, NEC Birmingham on January 19 – 21, we are taking a closer look at the chefs who will be joining us on stage. We dig a little deeper to find out what they are hiding under those chef whites!

• Chris Harrod achieved a Michelin star in under a year, but was it always his goal?
• Find out things you never knew about the UK's top chefs in our Man Behind the Chef series
• Read more from The Staff Canteen Live 2015 at The Hospitality Show here

Chris Harrod is the chef owner of the Crown at Whitebrook, in the Wye Valley, which he opened in October 2013. The restaurant with rooms, has since gained 3 Rosettes in the AA Restaurant Guide and a star in the Michelin Guide UK. The 40-year-old, from Worcestershire, wanted to be a chef since he was seven, after having family holidays in Britain and Europe staying in restaurants with rooms.

What made you want to be a part of The Staff Canteen Live?

It’s a really good way to show

what we do at the restaurant and also to interact with the students, giving knowledge over to them and to the audience as well.

Could you talk us through your role at the Crown at Whitebrook?

I am the chef owner; it was always my ambition to have my own restaurant, or restaurant with rooms. So I am the head chef; I have four staff in the kitchen with me. Being the owner, I am also the restauranteur, so I oversee everything that goes on in the restaurant and the rooms.

At The Staff Canteen we want to see what makes chefs tick. We asked Chris Harrod a few questions about what he gets up to when he’s not in the kitchen:

What do you do in your spare time?

At the moment there is no spare time, the restaurant is 100% of my time at the minute.

If you did have spare time, what would you be doing?

Spending as much time with my family as I could, playing music.

What is the last album you bought?

Probably Paul McCartney New.

Chocolate or cheese?

Chocolate.

Marco or Gordon?

Marco.

What is the worst injury or cut you’ve ever had in the kitchen?

Probably a burn, I was using the old bread oven and as I was putting the bread into the oven, I managed to burn my wrist to the oven.

If you weren’t a chef what would you be?

A musician, it is something I’ve always liked. 

Chris will be joining us on Monday, January 20 at 1.30pm for The Staff Canteen Live. We are extremely excited to welcome such a well-respected name in the industry. It will be a great day for chefs and foodies alike.

By Samantha Wright

The Hospitality Show takes place at the NEC Birmingham from January, 19-21, 2015. Registration for the show is open now at: http://www.hospitalityshow.co.uk/sc/