This Hungarian-born chef loves slow-cooked comfort food and his guilty culinary pleasure is walnut and raisin bread
What first inspired you to become a chef?
I watched my mother and grandmother cook every day and bake every weekend. Seeing them cooking in the kitchen and trying their lovely food inspired me to become a chef.
Which career achievements are you most proud of?
Becoming head chef at The Lamb, serving 600 dishes a week. I was a head chef in Hungary, but when I came to England at 26 I had to start from the bottom again. Progressing back up to head chef is an achievement I am incredibly proud of.
Do you have a signature dish?
I don’t – I love my profession and enjoy making all sorts of dishes. But I love homely dishes like stews, and a la carte dishes which we serve at The Lamb. I especially enjoy making Hungarian dishes as well as French and English cuisine.
What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?
I’m originally from Hungary and I enjoy slow-cooked meals along the lines of stews. My favourite Hungarian dish to cook is a bean soup with ham hock – turning affordable ingredients into something special.
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What’s in your fridge at the moment?
My fridge is usually fully stocked with cheeses, meats, and vegetables from my own allotment. I source most of my produce from local markets and farm shops. I try to make sure everything in my fridge is in season and locally sourced.
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
I worked at Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa in Climping for multiple years which taught me all aspects of pastry, bread, and dessert-making. My guilty pleasure is definitely making different types of breads, especially sourdough, and walnut and raisin bread.
Where do you like to go to eat in the county if you ever get out of the kitchen?
I’ve got an eclectic taste in food, I enjoy going to Italian restaurants and independent restaurants such as Efes. If I had the time and the money, I would go to Michelin-starred restaurants to experience those higher standards of culinary excellence.
Favourite Sussex delicacy?
I am a big fan of local cheeses such as Blue Cloud from Balcombe. Being so close to the sea it’s the best local natural resource available to us,and here we are supplied with some of the highest quality fish in the UK.
