Delicious UK – (10)October 2019

A SLICE OF MY LIFE

Tommy

Banks

PERFECTLY

IMPERFECT

A childhoodspent

planting,picking,

sizing-upeggs

andworkingin

thefamilypub

setTommyup

tovaluethe

disciplineof

hardworkand

thebeautyof

freshfood

FARMINGLAD

I stillliveonmyparents’farminYorkshire,andit

influencesmyapproachtocookingandtolife.It’s

aboutseasonsandanticipation:whatwillweusefor

themenu,whatwillwepreserveforwinter?

CRACKINGEGGS

Mymumusedtoruna successfulB&Binthefarmhouse,

andDadwasinchargeofourfarmeggsforbreakfast

• hewouldcrackthemopenintodifferentsaucersand
  gradethemforfreshnessandplumpness:theperfect
  onesforpoaching,lessperfectforfrying,therestfor
  makingcakes.Bothmyparentstryvery,veryhardatall
  theydoandthatwasinstilledinmefroma youngage.

DISCOVERINGMYCALLING

I leftschoolat17.I’dhadlotsofhealthproblems,I was

underweightandinsecure...Myparentshadbought

a localpub,soherewasanopportunity– I couldwork

inthekitchen.It wasanambitiontomakesomething

ofmyselffollowedbya passionforfood.

FRESHFROMTHEFIELD

I havefondmemoriesofmygrandadgrowingvegetables:

peassofreshyouwouldeatthemonthespot;new

potatoes,skinalmosttransparent,withapplemint...

KNOWSHIS...

I can’tstopthinkingabouttheseamazingonions,a

Japanesevariety.Youcaneatthemlikeanapple,and

theyaresweetbeyondsweet.Wecookthemat300°C

fora dishwithlangoustinesandsaltedgooseberries.

ACCEPTANCEOFTHEIMPERFECT

I’mnotsureif I cancreatetheexactsamethingmore

thanonce.Thepotterwhomakestherestaurantplates

trainedinJapanandshecallsit ‘wabi-sabi’– thingsare

perfectintheirimperfection.That’showI lookatit,too.

TommyBanksis chefdirectoratBlackSwanOldstead

(blackswanoldstead.co.uk)andRootsYork(rootsyork.com)

The Michelin star-winning chef digs

into his farming background in

Yorkshire for happy memories –

and unearths cooking wisdom

INTERVIEW: KERRY FOWLER. PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

people.

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 17