Chef Patron Jonny Mills opens his new, intimate eight-seater dining experience restaurant, Sael in the Jewellery Quarter this month. We wanted to find out what makes this acclaimed chef tick
Tell us about your cooking?
I don’t really think I have a style, I’m classically trained, but I’ve learned a lot of different techniques over the years and always love to experiment and tweak things. I suppose ideas just come to me and my brain works out a way to make it work! Seasons, amazingly fresh and local produce really excite me. I also started foraging many years ago to help with my mental health and it’s now a huge factor in how I approach my cooking. I love being outdoors and just appreciating what is around me and what can be used or preserved.
How did you become a chef?
My first job was as a pot washer at Mallory Court in Leamington under the watchful eyes of Simon Haigh. I was 15. It had a Michelin star and I just became obsessed with it, the buzz, the routine, how regimented it was. Some of my oldest friends are from back then, and a fair few of them even came to my wedding this year. Proper friends. Within a year I was full-time and loving life.
The chefs who have probably inspired me the most over the years would be Sat Bains, Simon Rogan, Daniel Clifford and obviously Simon Haigh. The list could (and is) huge. Far too many for me to list, but certainly these were the most inspiring when I was young and eager!
Family have always been a huge inspiration for me wanting to cook, and I have fond memories of grandma’s treacle tart, picking blackberries from Abbey Fields and making crumbles. Whenever I was at my dad’s, I was always being shown and taught how to make things from scratch.
What do you eat at home?
I’m a stickler for beans on toast, loads of butter and some beautifully runny poached eggs. My wife loves it when I do a roast or a risotto. Very few chefs cook properly at home – we hate the washing up!
Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?
In the world, I’m not sure. In the UK at the moment, I think Gareth Ward is up there – a third star must come soon. Best in Brum is a difficult question to answer. I love Alex Claridge, his approach to food is fun and intriguing. Kray at 670 is also a bit of a wizard and I love his nods to Birmingham in his menu.
Share a cooking tip
Always season as you go, build layers of seasoning as you cook and add things, don’t wait until the end. Also, you can always add more, but you can never take away.
What was your favourite food as a kid?
Jacket potato, tuna mayo, beans and cheese, sweetcorn relish. (judge me all you want) from the jacket potato stall on The Parade in Leamington. Or grandma’s sausage casserole. Dreamy!
Food heaven and food hell?
I love really buttery, wet, scrambled eggs with loads of salt. But I can also sit down at Ynyshir and indulge in a 30-course tasting menu. Food hell, raw oysters, tripe and deep-fried bugs.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
Those deep fried bugs in Thailand. You have to try everything once don’t you!
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
I think if the question was what I would tell a younger me, then it would be to find an extremely well-paid job that was based around the Internet. The world is a much, much bigger place than four walls and an office.