Meet the Friends of Dennys - Theo Randall

MEET THE FRIENDS OF DENNYS

And enter our FREE competition

10 Questions with…..Theo Randall

Head Chef, proprietor of Theo Randall at the InterContinental Hotel London Park Lane, and celebrated author of multiple cookbooks.

1. Who (or what) inspired you to start cooking?
   I grew up with a love for good food from a very early age. My parents were very much into travelling over France and Italy and discovering restaurants. They were very supportive when I said I wanted to be a chef. They weren’t surprised.
   
   
2. Do you have a region of Italy that you favour?
   There are 20 regions of Italy and they all have something culinary wonderful to offer. I have a few favourite regions but ones that really get me excited are Campania, Puglia and Emilia-Romagna
   
   
3. What industry figure do you admire most?
   There are so many.... I was fortunate enough to work with the great and late Roy Ackerman, who had a charm and personality that I haven’t seen since, also there are many great chefs that I admire like Philip Howard, Georgio Locatelli and Sally Clarke to name a few...
   
   
4. Do you have a ‘yet-to-be-discovered’ wine region in Italy?
   Abruzzo has a very long history of making wines with grapes like the white Trebbiano and red grape Montepulciano, over the last few years the quality of these wines has improved dramatically.
   
   
5. What do you cook at home for a family get together?
   Well, my son always insists on pasta and my daughter always want lots of different vegetable dishes. So I tend to make quite a selection of dishes like a whole sea bass, a spaghetti alla vongole and a big selection of seasonal vegetable antipasti dishes, recently we had carciofi alla Romana with a large bowls of grilled aubergines, courgettes and red peppers, focaccia, Burrata and english asparagus.
   
   
6. Any pet hates in the kitchen?
   Spoons and ladles left in sauce pans, blunt knives and a messy fridge.
   
   
7. What is the Italian dish that you would like to introduce to the British?
   Well, it’s not about introducing, more about educating...I love real polenta ie polenta that is not quick cook and I would love to see it used more.
   
   
8. If you weren’t cooking Italian food, which country’s food would you cook?
   I love many cuisines and would love to be taught how to cook Chinese food
   
   
9. Who has been the biggest influence on your cooking style?
   That’s a hard question. I did my apprentice with Max Margarian at Chez Max and he was a very good chef who taught me a lot of skills and what to look for when cooking meat and fish. The River Cafe was also influential but I think your cooking style comes from within...
   
   
10. And finally, as a young chef, do you recall your first Dennys purchase? What was it?
    Yes, it was a rose handle Victorinox cooks knife. Probably the best and most practical knives for any young chef. I still use them daily

We have not one, but TWO signed copies of Theo Randall's new cookbook 'The Italian Deli Cookbook'. Simply follow Dennys on Instagram and interact with our posts by 14th June 2021.

Winner will be notified by noon on 18th June 2021.