Kate Malcolm, head pastry chef, Babylon at The Roof Gardens

Kate Malcolm is in her words experiencing ‘any chefs dream’ - having creative control over the dessert menu at Babylon at The Roof Gardens. She has spent time at The Ledbury, worked with pastry chef Tony Hoyle and is now enjoying a role where if she doesn’t like a dish one week on then she’ll change it to something she enjoys eating…although it would probably be a tart as she could never see a menu without one.

We chat to Kate about the industry, her influences and her mother’s garden.

Going back to the beginning when was it that you realised that you wanted to work in the industry?

I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be a chef, when I was younger I was always in the kitchen at home. As I became older I wanted to know all about how to make food.

What was it that appealed to you?

I think what appealed to me is the process of making something out of nothing; something that people can enjoy. I also love working with such a diverse mix of people who you can really learn from; it is their experience that helps to makes you better and more creative at your job.

I also find that it’s a fantastic outlet to show creativity.

At what point did you realise that pastry was the job for you?

I finished college and I got offered a job at The Ledbury and I started there and went into and pastry and realised that this was what I wanted to. It’s all I could think about and I was there for two years and it made me realise that I didn’t want to do anything else. You either love it or hate it – it’s like Marmite.

Working at The Grove before you went to college– what did you learn here and was this specifically within the pastry section?

I became slightly obsessed with chocolate and pastry and I wanted to learn more so when I was fourteen/fifteen I contacted the chocolatier that worked at The Grove at the time, Tony Hoyle, and he very generously allowed me to come in every Thursday after I finished school for about a year and a half.

While I was there I was shown a lot of simple recipes like sweet pastry and marshmallow and tempering of chocolate.  I found that this experience made me completely resolved in the knowledge that this is what I wanted to do!

Was Tony a big influence on you and your career?

Tony gave me my first opportunity in the catering industry. I am so grateful for that as I now see that without the advice and the things I learned from him, and the people at The Grove, I may not have trained where I trained and so wouldn’t have had the other amazing opportunities I have had in my career.

How do you view your time at The Ledbury?

I learnt how I cook there, everyone handles the pressure differently but they gave me the way that I plan – methodically and quickly and if anything is wrong don’t use it; there are no grey areas.

Was it right that you won the David Lyle Scholarship?

Yes whilst I was at college; it was a national competition for chefs under the age of 21, either at college or already in the industry. It was a skills test where you had to come up with a flavoured soufflé. It was three hours making everything from scratch; they gave you the basics but you had to come up with the rest.

I was surprised I won as I was up against some talented people, although the whole time I wasn’t really looking at anyone else. The prize was the chance to go to Brussels on a tour of all the different chocolate factories and also to choose a Callebaut course of your choice – so I chose the chocolate sculpting which was really fun.

Any plans to do any more competitions?

That was my first big competition but I haven’t really done any since asI went straight into working at The Ledbury. I see them online and it is tempting but for me my dishes here are my main priority and I wouldn’t want to compromise that.

So when did you come to Babylon at The Roof Gardens?

I did a brief time in a hotel but realised that it wasn’t for me; I’m more suited to restaurants and feel most comfortable there. I was honest with the chef there and then I applied here.

I had a few interviews with head chef Ian (Howard) and he asked me to come in and pick a dish and cook it. It was quite scary – it was a new company and restaurant for me and I wasn’t sure what he was expecting but I always make dishes that I like and would never make anything I didn’t like.

So was it right you came in as sous pastry chef then made head pastry chef?

Yes, so the first couple of months during my trial period I was senior sous and then after that ended Ian offered me the head chef role which was nice.

How did you find that transition from sous to head chef?

To be honest I was already managing the team when I started so I tried not to think of myself as anything different; at the end of the day I was putting my dishes on the menu and I had people that I was responsible for and that continued as head pastry chef.

How do you find managing the team, is it the first time you’ve had to manage others?

At The Ledbury I was in charge of new people and those that helped me, as I ran pastry anything that went wrong I was responsible for, but here there is more people who are relying on me and my thoughts alone. I found though that I was able to rely on the team and Ian and every time I come up with a new dish I ask their thoughts and always take on their feedback.

Everyone has trained and learnt somewhere different so I definitely take on their thoughts to help the overall dish.

Did you change anything on the menu when you started or take anything off?

There wasn’t a pastry chef here for a few months before I started and I found that the desserts weren’t of the same calibre as the starters and the mains and felt they needed to be brought up to the same standard and I think the guests noticed.

I wanted to make everything fluid so I revamped the whole menu, I changed a dish once or twice a week as I knew we needed to bring it altogether.

What would you say is the aim of your dishes?

I’m always one to experiment. Babylon has the values of seasonal foods and produce so you’re not going to find crazy ingredients but I have a very conscious plan for what I do; that matches the rest of the restaurant.

I wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily tailored my desserts to fit in, I create desserts that I like and I found my ethos already fitted in with Babylon and that’s why I like working here.

So you say it’s seasonal but how easy is it finding those ingredients?

England is a bit of a tricky one at the moment; we’ve been so lucky with English strawberries and Scottish raspberries but it gets to the winter when things don’t grow and you become a bit limited so you bring out the nuts and caramels. I see the two seasons very differently – people want to eat light desserts in summer and more indulgent, comforting food in the winter.

So what do you personally like creating the most?

When I first get to experiment that’s my favourite part, and then when it’s over and I’ve got my finished dish, as I know that there’s been ten different recipes and scribbled bits of paper thrown in the bin prior to that.

Is there one ingredient that you enjoy working with most?

I would say I have a favourite ingredient per season but I love figs. I’m aware of sustainability too and using everything so I enjoy using the fig leaves, it’s the same for cherries. When they weren’t in season I was using the cherry blossom then the cherries became available so I used those. I’m always in my mum’s garden seeing what I could use, I look at a flower and wonder if it’s edible.

I do enjoy making the ice creams too but I really enjoy making custard tarts. It’s one of those things where everyone loves a custard tart; you have an idea of what it should taste like so I enjoy experimenting with flavours. I’ve got an apricot one at the moment and then that will change to something like pumpkin but I always like to keep one on the menu.

Do you think the overall look of the dish is just as important as the taste?

I would say for desserts yes, as people expect that wow factor but for me if it tastes like sawdust then it still tastes like sawdust no matter how good it looks. I create my dishes by starting with an ingredient and then doing a spider diagram and explore all options for that ingredient but I wouldn’t start with a picture and then think ‘what ingredient could that swirl be?’

Food is about sharing so I think it’s great that people take photos and put them online, I think it’s a great compliment.

What would you say inspires you, what’s the starting point?

It’s always the seasonal ingredients, when they come in it’s like being in a candy shop and they’re a big inspiration. But I do always look at what other chefs have done, new trends, at the moment I’ve got my favourite pastry chefs – there’s a guy at the moment called Jordan Kahn, it’s like food art and he’s incredible.

I think that it’s important to venture out, if you just stick to yourself you’ll never improve.

How often do you change the dishes?

They change with the seasons but they also change when I don’t like them anymore. If there’s something I’m not quite happy with I’ll take it off. Ian has given me full creative control but I will ask for his ideas but final decisions are left up to me; which is any chef’s dream.

Do you think there is a shortage of female pastry chefs at the moment?

It is mainly male dominated but there’s always been a lack of females in the industry, it is long hours but there are more women coming through. I would tell anyone to try it out, I think there’s a trend that people feel they have to go to university before a catering course but there are a lot more main kitchen influences.

Pastry is a different ballgame to the rest of the kitchen, I always say it’s about stamina rather than adrenaline with pastry; you’ve got to keep concentration and service is slower which could put people off put there could always be a bit more promotion.

You either love it or hate it, you do it because you’re a little bit crazy and obsessed with food.

What are your future plans, anything that you want to tick off your list?

Everyone thinks about opening their own place or owning a patisserie -in the future I could maybe see that but I’m enjoying what I’m doing at the moment.

If you like the sound of working as a pastry chef then have a look at our range of positions on our jobs board here