From kitchen porter to Michelin-starred cooking, the talented young chef talks awards, ambitions and rustling up a full English with his dad

Will Venner kicked off his career in hospitality as a part-time kitchen porter aged just 16. He wasn’t dreaming of a career in food at the time, in fact he was a fussy eater as a boy and cheffing had never crossed his mind. Despite that, he worked his way from kitchen porter to the grill at Miller and Carter where he started out.

Fast forward a few years and heaps of experience and Will is now working as a junior sous chef at the brilliant Michelin-starred Simpsons restaurant where he’s reveling in the creativity and endless possibilities of a high-end kitchen. Securing the job at Simpsons is a big career highlight for Will as well as being named as a finalist in the prestigious Young Chef of the Year awards in 2019.

THANKS DAD!

Despite his fussiness as a child, Will remembers enjoying helping his dad in the kitchen rustling up a Sunday roast or a full English breakfast. He says: “Without knowing it, I suppose my dad inspired me to cook.” For Will, cheffing was a slow burn that really took off when he decided university wasn’t for him. He came back from Southampton where he’d been studying and started working as a commis chef at local gastro pub The Boot Inn in Lapworth where he worked his way up to junior sous chef. Will recalls: “This was my first time cooking fresh food and I quickly found a passion for it.”

Will moved from The Boot to the Eden Collection’s Mallory Court which is a very different beast. Shifting from a fast-paced, high-cover gastro pub environment to a fine dining kitchen where consistency and precision are key was a challenge but one that Will embraced. Under Simon Haigh’s tutelage, Will began honing a classical French style. He says “Simon is more than just a mentor but also a good friend. He gave me my first opportunity in fine dining and taught me a lot which I will be forever grateful for. He is also someone I can always rely on for advice and guidance which is always helpful in this industry.”

WORLD CLASS

After two years at Mallory Court, Will moved to country house hotel Buckland Manor in Broadway before returning to the city to the Simpsons kitchen under the guidance of Luke Tipping. Arriving as a chef de partie in 2024, Will has been promoted to junior sous chef. The kitchen at Simpsons consistently produces world class dishes that excite and wow thanks to a bunch of chefs bursting with creativity and obsessed with flavour and detail.

Will is enjoying the challenge and the opportunity to create. Ultimately he says his ambitions are like most chefs: “To have my own restaurant but aside from that, it would probably be cooking and serving food that excites me and that I’m proud to serve. Most of all it is making people happy when they eat my food.” Will’s excited by the food scene in Birmingham generally. We asked him where he eats when he’s not working and it’s a neat little list that’s worth noting.

Of Stirchley, Will says: “There seems to be a growing food scene developing here but my standout restaurant has to be Eat Vietnam. It’s relaxed, laid back but the food is tasty. It gets better every time I go!” In the city centre, Will raves about Bonehead: “In my opinion it has the best fried chicken in Birmingham. The Nashville hot chicken burger really hits the spot!” For bao buns, Will heads to Tiger Bites Pig: “Whether it’s a couple of bao buns or a rice bowl, it’s always delicious.” And in China Town, Will loves the unassuming, unfussy Peach Garden with its hanging Cantonese meat in the window. He says: “It never disappoints.”