Russell Bateman: Top five tips on how to win National Chef of the Year

After winning National Chef of the Year 2014, Russell Bateman is now head chef at Colette’s at The Grove, which has three rosettes in the AA Restaurant Guide.

• Who are the 10 finalists for National Chef of the Year 2018?
• Who is National Chef of the Year open to?

Russell found his passion for cooking when growing up in West London around his grandparents’ freshly baked bread, brewed ale and crisp garden vegetables. Since then, he’s worked under an array of world famous chefs including Marcus Wareing, Marc Veyrat, Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Clifford. 

Russell’s top five tips on how to win National Chef of the Year 2018

1. Cook what you know and understand, this is no place to experiment or test things on the judges.

2. Concentrate on flavour. Cook things which are delicious that will stand out. Taste, taste, taste.

3. An element of refinement is necessary. Dishes, which are too rustic or unrefined, may not be well received or appear lazy. Do not confuse complexity with elaborate. Simple, complexity is beautiful.

4. Practice your dishes and have a clear plan. If you show confidence and knowledge in what you are doing it will show in the way you work. You will work cleaner and smarter.

5. Be prepared for things to go wrong. A stove may trip out; an oven may not be as hot as you expect. The strongest chefs are always ready to overcome adversity.

By Grace Handley