How a part-time job on a gap year in New Zealand for the head chef at Brockencote Hall, Tim Jenkins set the tastebuds for a career in food
Tell us about your cooking?
My style is always evolving, but the heart of it stays the same – seasonal, fresh, tasty and local. Our approach at the hotel’s Malvern Restaurant is all about refined British cooking with a real sense of place. We work with the best produce available to us, whether that is British seafood, asparagus from Harvington just up the road, vegetables from the hotel garden or carefully sourced meats from trusted suppliers.
How did you become a chef?
I always enjoyed helping my parents cook at home. On a gap year in New Zealand, I took a part-time pot wash job. The chef owner had such a passion for food that I regularly helped him prep on my days off. After retraining part-time as a chef at college in Lancaster, I worked in local pubs before moving closer to home and getting a job at Brockencote Hall.
What do you eat when at home?
Given the recent warm weather, I have been keeping things simple with food from the garden at home. That might be lettuce, onions, tomatoes and spring onions, served with homemade mustard and sourdough. I also love a good flapjack.
Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?
Tommy Banks in Yorkshire is someone I really admire, particularly for his ethos on farming and supporting the land around him. Locally, I would have to say Stu Deeley at Mallory Court. He was once a commis chef at Brockencote Hall Hotel, so it is fantastic to see what he has gone on to achieve.
What was your favourite food as a kid?
My mum did a wicked cheese on toast. Fish and chips was another favourite. Mum’s minestrone soup was always welcome in the winter, and dad’s spaghetti bolognese on the weekend was amazing too.
Food heaven and food hell?
Heaven would be BBQ rib of beef on the bone, slow cooked so it is pink all the way through. When meat is cooked with that much care, it is hard to beat. There is nothing in the world I truly dislike, but badly cooked meat would be close.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
Carpaccio of octopus leg. I had it in Lanzarote ¬– and it was phenomenal.
Share a cooking tip
Follow the recipe and method. Spend a little extra time to do it correctly the first time. And with simple bakes like flapjacks, use the best honey you can. It makes a real difference.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
When I was younger, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I have always enjoyed fishing and fish keeping. If I ever left the industry, I would quite like to own a carp fishing lake.