Meet The Chef – Tony Lewis, Bents Garden and Home. #Blog

Scott Holliday
26th February 2018

How long have you been a chef?

Since I was 15, so 22 years ish!

I first worked in a local British restaurant near Wimbledon, where I grew up. I was there for about eight years and learnt so much progressing from pot wash to prepping food to being the Head Chef.

Who was your finest mentor?

Gennaro Contaldo. Gennaro’s natural ability to make exceptional food paired with his strong family values, makes him someone who I will always look up to. Gennaro is a genius when it comes to composition and he challenges the norm to create complex dishes. He’s taught me to think about every detail, from the grass pigs are fed on to the mushrooms in a dish are the right ones to compliment the jus. His passion was unparalleled to anyone I’ve ever worked with.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt in the kitchen?

Plan, plan, and do more planning!

Having all elements coming together perfectly is what makes great cooking. From quality ingredients and seasonal produce, to timings and temperatures, and seasoning to plating – it’s all in the detail.

Which chef do you admire most and why?

Grant Achatz, previous sous chef to renowned visionary chef Thomas Keller – from the “French Laundry” restaurant. Grant’s American and based in Chicago which makes me wish I was based there to enjoy his cooking regularly! To me he’s more than a chef, he’s a borderline food scientist, and having suffered with throat cancer which meant re training his tastebuds this hasn’t stopped him. Grant goes from strength to strength which is proven by his Michelin starred restaurants and the passion which goes into everything he does, from concepts through to his final delivery of food.

If you are ever stateside, make sure to check out his restaurants, my personal favourites are ‘Next’ and ‘Alinea’.

How would you describe your style of cooking and current menu?

A tricky one, I’d love to know what our diners think of our style!

For me I try to embrace intimate and refined cooking which we definitely achieved in our first Food & Wine Pairing Evening which was held in September 2017 – watch this space for more coming this year. This evening was all about relaxed dining, exceptional food paired with excellent wines and enjoyment of our customers and colleagues.

Being seasonal focused is always a priority for me and understanding where all our ingredients come from, how everything comes together and ultimately for me I want to push the boundaries of what ‘garden centre’ dining is thought of. Here at Bents we’re so much more than a garden centre in our vast range of departments and products, but also in our Dining destinations.

Come and enjoy our original Fresh Approach Restaurant for salads, sandwiches, hot dishes and even ice-cream which we make right here. Then there’s our Tapas & Wine Bar in our Food Hall, which is certainly worth a visit and we have many more options to enjoy including a café in our Pet Place where you can dine with your four-legged friends!

What do you hate most about the restaurant business?

We risk becoming an overly saturated market so can easily lose amazing foodie hotspots because there are too many choices for customers to dine in. There is a huge shift in the restaurant/high street game right now and diners are voting with their feet, they want intimate, casual, good food not at corporate level where they are not listened to, they want great service, they want diverse choice, that’s where the smaller independent underdog has come in, there’s so much more than brands to see, and its only going to
sway more that way I feel. Another frustration is when style comes over substance, yes we all love to share our great looking food on social media but the objective of good food shouldn’t be to make it Instagram worthy.

What meal do you like cooking most for yourself?

Here you might be expecting answer of a fine dining extravagant dish. Nope, for me its a go to comfort food – cheese on toast -good crisp sourdough bread, mature cheddar and topped with brown sauce – not pickle! Bring these elements together in the right way and wow, there’s the perfect weekend brunch. Or for me, if I’m getting in late and time isn’t on my side – this is my go to!

What makes me love cooking at home more than anything is my three children, especially Jessika (my six year old) which is a mini me and loves to cook – she’s becoming tough competition for me too when it comes to baking cakes or cooking lasagna. She’s been telling me she will be my boss for years!

As a family we love to watch Ratatouille, there’s some really important kitchen lessons in that film – seriously, give it a watch!

What is your favourite drink?

You, me and a G&T! I know it was the drink of 2017 but for me it’s more than a fad. Get the perfect glass, a little ice (cubes, not crushed), Fevertree tonic and pair with a Juniper or Lemon, and some good London dry Gin. Ahhhhh, and relax!

I’ve even been experimenting by making my own flavours at home. The two I’m trying now are Gooseberry and Vanilla Pods, and Rhubarb (grown at home too!) … watch this space on how they turn out!

What car do you drive?

For me whizzing about, a Mini Cooper – I haven’t quite saved for a porche…. For family adventures, an X-Trail

What do you do for fun?

For fun, I like to partake in sports which push my boundaries. Tough Mudder has now become an annual event and each year I try to rope as many of the chefs at Bents in as possible. I believe in pushing yourself to achieve as a team whilst giving back to worthy
causes.

I’ve also enjoyed the odd parachute jump too, 10,000 feet to be exact! You just need to decide on the dreamiest location to not only get the adrenaline rush but also the spectacular scenery.
I keep fit and work out, I’m one of those people who loves to head to the gym to relieve stress and clear my mind.

Married or single?

Married to Michaela, we’ve been together for 18 years, and married for two. She’s such a brilliant Mum to our three children.

Which team do you support?

Chelsea. Sorry Northerners! I have such great memories of this club having grown up in South London – and of course I can’t forget watching my local team, back then it was Wimbledon.

Taste Cheshire are paying – where would you like to go for a meal?

Locally? Let’s head to Rudy’s for the best pizza in town at lunch, but for an evening out you can treat me to Manchester House or Gotham Hotel. Further afield, let’s explore Chicago and head to Alinea for dessert.

What foods are cool at the moment?

We continue to be in the middle of an American movement, everything pulled, smoked and all about low and slow cooking. But good quality Napoli style pizza are also making big waves!

I wonder what will be next. . .

Who is making it happen in the industry at the moment?

There are big shifts happening right now. There is lots to suggest Veganism is on the rise, plus huge health campaigns featuring big celebrity chefs and body coaches promoting super foods and healthier options, but with maximum flavor.
So I would have to acknowledge Tom Kerridge and Joe Wicks, for influence, and of course Jamie Oliver sits perfectly in there too!

Three favourite films

•  Ratatouille – best kitchen/chef film ever
• Godfather – people, power, politics, how to learn them all
• Terminator 2 the ultimate film with the ultimate character, and totally proves a sequel can be better than the original

Twitter or Facebook?

Just to be awkward, I’d say Instagram! Follow me and Bents Garden & Home to see our latest creations. It’s also a perfect place to get inspiration and be part of a chef / food lover’s community.

How long do you see yourself being a chef?

Always, it’s who I am.

What’s the secret to a restaurant dish?

Care first and foremost, but there are techniques along the way to build on that – contrast in flavour, texture and colour are all very important.

For our Food & Wine Pairing Evening this was a key focus and our amuse-bouche really hit the spot, a Celeriac Soup with Candied Walnuts and Tarragon Oil.

What annoys you most when you go out for a meal?

When service let’s down the effort and passion which goes into food. Be in it fully or get out entirely, it’s not for the faint hearted.