What’s the most important quality for a chef? Some might say it’s their ability to cook. Because after all isn’t that what makes chefs great? Others might argue that it’s the leadership qualities, their ability to wrangle the team so that everyone is focused on the same goals with the same understanding of flavour and quality that’s required for that establishment to achieve their desired outcomes. You could also argue that these days it’s their ability to multitask and juggle several things at once, their ordering, their staff their social media personality, their guest expectations and so on. While I think all those things are important as a chef for me, it is integrity. In today’s world integrity is often overlooked in cooks. They sell their souls to the sponsors of awards and accolades in order to be “listed”. They compromise their ideals and philosophy to adhere to the latest trends or styles.
I think two of the best practices I try to instil in the young cooks that come through our doors are to taste and focus on the basics (technique). Taste food – one of the most crucial habits cooks need in order to improve is their ability to taste!! Tasting food sounds simple but if you can’t taste and then describe to me what’s going on in terms of flavour then you’re not really consciously “tasting” and don’t just taste the food you cook! Taste everyone’s even if the kitchen hand has sneakily made a soup in the back stick your finger in and have a try! I believe opening up our palate as much as possible will only improve your cooking!
Get the basics right – it’s easy to get caught up in the flashy techniques and trendy ingredients, but if you don’t nail the basics, you are building your culinary arsenal on shaky foundations. Sacrificing the time to perfect your knife skills, master basic cooking methods, and understand flavour profiles might not seem glamorous, but it’s the foundation upon which all great cooking is built.
We are also in an era now where the understanding of the climate crisis has become more mainstream which is great. Everyone should be doing as much as possible to minimize their environmental footprints and reverse the most severe symptoms of climate change. But we have also in my opinion well and truly entered the “golden Era for greenwashing” Chefs and restaurant PRs pump out phases like local produce, organic and sustainable when describing their menu but those same restaurants have imported foie, caviar or tuna on their menus. Where is the integrity in that? People claim to support biodiversity but will have mangoes on their menu all year round.
Imagine a world where fields are lush and diverse, where farmers nurture the soil like it’s their child, and where oceans teem with life instead of being raped for profit. That’s the dream, right? Well, by embracing sustainable sourcing practices like organic farming and responsible fishing, cooks can help turn that dream into a reality. It’s all about reducing our environmental footprint and giving Mother Nature a fighting chance along the way.
Choosing seasonal and local ingredients isn’t just about supporting your neighbourhood farmer (although that’s pretty fucking cool); it’s about reducing food miles and keeping our carbon footprint in check. Plus, it’s contributing to the local economy!
Ethical sourcing means giving a damn about welfare and making sure everyone and thing in the system are treated with the respect they deserve. It’s about supporting fair and safe labour practices and humane farming.
In a world full of food fraudsters, trust is hard to come by. But by building relationships with trustworthy producers and demanding transparency cooks can be confident in the produce they are feeding their customers! And by choosing ingredients from sustainable sources, cooks can help protect our precious ecosystems and preserve biodiversity for generations to come.
In a nutshell, sourcing sustainable ingredients isn’t just about following the latest foodie trend – it’s about making a real, tangible difference in the world. Sustainability isn’t just for marketing and public relations, it’s for our collective futures!
Dylan Jones, Bo.lan
