Wild garlic pesto

Posted on

It’s wild garlic season, so why not try this lovely recipe from Michael Blades, head chef at Upstairs by Tom Shepherd

Delicious and versatile, Michael’s recipe is awesome served with pasta dishes, tossed with roasted new potatoes – or alongside one of his favourites, steak and chips!

 Ingredients:

• 150g washed wild garlic

• 100g spinach

• 60g lightly toasted pine nuts

• 60g parmesan

• 150g extra virgin olive oil

• 1 lemon zest

• Maldon sea salt

Method:

Place all of your ingredients into a blender. Blend until you have a nice coarse pesto. Season with Maldon sea salt.

Michael Blades

Posted on

The CV of the new head chef at Michelin-starred Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, Michael Blades, includes stints at Adams in Birmingham and Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham. Whisper it quietly… he’s also more than a little partial to milk chocolate Hobnobs! 

Tell us about your cooking?

My cooking style currently is an extension of some of the incredible restaurants and chefs I have worked with, most importantly Tom Shepherd, my current chef patron, who I have known for more than 11 years and who I supported at the restaurant’s launch in 2021 as sous chef. My cooking style is very seasonal and ingredient led, with flavour taking the forefront of the focus, ensuring everything really packs a punch with flavour! 

How did you become a chef?

I entered a professional kitchen at a young age with a part-time job as a KP. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and being able to work with amazing produce. I have always loved and have been interested by food. This is how my culinary journey started. I then went to work at Michelin star restaurants such as Restaurant Sat Bains, Adams and I was Tom’s sous chef at Upstairs when we won our Michelin star just four months after opening. Sat and Tom have been massive influences for me and my career and so many more in the industry I look up to that have created incredible restaurants. Some of my most inspiring visits have been, The Ledbury, Moor Hall, Row on 5.  

What do you eat at home?

An unhealthy amount of milk chocolate Hobnobs. 

Who is the best chef in the world and why? And the best in Brum?

A very difficult question for me as I don’t think there is any one chef that’s the best! They are all very different and incredible in their own style. For me, based on how many young chefs have been influenced and developed and the impact on our industry, I would have to say Gordan Ramsay. Best in Brum (slightly biased) would have to be Tom Shepherd, I have been lucky to be a part of Tom’s journey during the restaurant and his career and it has been inspiring to me as a younger chef coming through the industry and similar kitchens. 

Share a cooking tip

My tip is for cooking meat. Rest your meat for around the same time as you cooked it, this really retains all the important juices and flavour of your meat. 

What was your favourite food as a kid?

Spaghetti Bolognese and fajitas – still one of my favourite dinners now.  

Food heaven and food hell?

Heaven is spicy buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese sauce. My hell is fermented fish – the worst food experience of my life! 

What’s the most unusual thing you have eaten?

I was very fortunate to eat at D.O.M, a special restaurant in Brazil where I experienced ants – very unusual but interesting. 

If you weren’t a chef what will you be?

If ‘chief milk chocolate Hobnob tester’ wasn’t available at the time, then a job in the motorsport industry for sure, A racing car driver!

Tom Shepherd

Posted on

Born in Sutton Coldfield, Tom Shepherd has worked in some of the UK’s finest kitchens, including Adam’s in Birmingham, before launching his own restaurant Upstairs by Tom Shepherd in Lichfield in 2021 where he was awarded a Michelin star only four months after opening.

Tom is also one of three new trustees to join the board of ambitious national charity Kids’ Village. The charity is raising £5million to build the UK’s first holiday village to provide free breaks for critically ill children and their families in Wychnor.

Tell us about your cooking

I’d describe my style of cooking as seasonal-led, flavour-focused and a concentrated classic style of cooking. New seasons always excite me as it produces a change of direction with your food and breathes fresh life into the kitchen. It’s important we are led by the seasons, as it’s much more sustainable to eat a product that is in season here in the UK at the right time, as opposed to eating an ingredient from another country, out of season.

How did you become a chef?

I sort of fell into it really. I was offered a trainee manager’s position at New Hall Hotel, Walmley when I was 17, and part of the programme was to spend time in the kitchen. The head chef was Wayne Thomson, someone I owe a lot to. He saw something in me that no one else did, I was always determined and hungry to succeed, I just hadn’t found the right platform to really express that. Wayne urged me to consider becoming a chef as he clearly saw my potential. I spent three years with Wayne and that learning was an integral part of where I am today. My family have always been super-supportive of me, always allowed me to make mistakes, but have always been there to direct and support me when I’ve needed it. I love my family a lot.

What do you eat at home?

Me, my wife and little daughter absolutely love a Sunday roast, Roast beef or chicken are our go-to, you can’t beat roasties, yorkies, honey glazed carrots, stuffing, gravy, etc. It’s just the best and us Brits do it best!

Who’s the best chef in the world and why? And who’s the best in Brum?

That’s a hard one as it depends on how you look at it. Gordon Ramsay was and still is a huge inspiration for me. He was one of the first chefs I ever watched and followed and I couldn’t believe the amount of drive, desire and determination he had to succeed. But he’s not in kitchens now as his career has just blown up all over the world. Brett Graham, recently awarded three Michelin stars and owner of the Ledbury in Notting Hill, is most certainly a big inspiration for me, I think his cooking style, ethos and delivery is exceptional and one I admire greatly.
Best chef in Brum, that’s easy. Aktar Islam, one of my closest chef friends, one I’ve known for a long time and for him to be the first two Michelin Star chef in Birmingham is just magic. There isn’t a nicer guy – he has supported me since day one of Upstairs, and before!

Share a cooking tip, or two…

Support local producers. Only buy UK produce where you can. Always rest your meat for as long as you cook it for (as it keeps cooking outside of the oven/pan) and never cook meat or fish straight from the fridge. Always allow it to come up to temperature. And always have garlic.

What was your favourite food as a kid?

Easy – bangers and mash!

Food heaven and food hell?

Heaven is Buffalo chicken wings. Hell is aubergine.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?

I’ve eaten some pretty unusual things, but a chicken foot with nails still attached has to be the worst.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?

I love sports, so I’d like to think something to do with football, golf, darts, fishing, maybe. I also have an addictive obsession with cars – so again, anything car related.