Last year’s MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt is set to open his first restaurant in his home town of Worthing
My new restaurant will be called Pitch. The name comes from my family’s market heritage – we would often set off at four in the morning to find the very best market pitch. It’s where I fell in love with food and I have vivid memories of traders, especially the fruit and veg sellers, butchers and bakers selling their beautiful produce with such passion and energy. I want to make this the best Pitch for my home town.
I said in the final of MasterChef that my dream would be to have my own place with my wife and that it would be a place we can call our own. We want to show what we’re all about and put people at the heart of what we do. I’ve been on an intensive culinary journey this past year and we feel that now is the right time, plus we want to put Worthing on the food map!
I love Worthing, it has real heart and the people here deserve more choice all around. I’ve lived here for more than 20 years and we are lucky enough to be surrounded by some outstanding produce and suppliers. It feels like a resurgence is going on and I want to be part of that.
I want to cook food that people really want to eat. In the main, the menu will be traditional British food made using modern techniques. It’s a fine balancing act to keep the heart of the dish, I’m not a massive fan of foams or anything that’s style over substance. Sometimes you need to let great be great.
Wherever possible I want to use local produce as there is some fantastic food available on our doorstep. I’m really enjoying getting out there to meet the producers at the moment.
Since appearing on MasterChef I have developed a much better understanding of how a kitchen works and the way it moves. They really are living, breathing things. I feel like I have finally learnt the ‘dance’, which is the term given to how chefs move in the kitchen. I still have a lot to learn, but that’s what makes it exciting.
There are so many highlights since MasterChef and I have met some incredible people. Working at The Black Swan in Oldstead with Tommy Banks was amazing and his team was so welcoming. And working with Michael Bremner at his restaurant Murmur in Brighton was really eye-opening and memorable too.
There are so many things to consider when opening a new restaurant and I see why it’s tough for small and medium businesses to flourish in what is a difficult environment. It really can be a minefield, however the support has been overwhelming.
I can now say that I am a full time restaurateur. However, in the early months I was juggling cooking with my job at the bank. This was an impossible task and I really wanted to focus on making this restaurant the best it could be, so I’m now working full time on Pitch, it’s a dream come true!
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