Jocky Petrie, former head of the Fat Duck experimental kitchen, now bringing flair and innovation to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant business
My creativity was spurred on by having a boring childhood. I grew up on the west coast of Scotland, in the middle of nowhere, and there wasn’t a lot to do apart from put two jumpers on a hill and pretend you’re playing football. Being bored made me more inquisitive. Even though I had no massive fascination with food as a kid, I started playing around with it out of boredom. Baking came first. The idea that you could mix all those ingredients together, put it in the oven and watch it rise to become a delicious cake seemed amazing to me.
The naivety you have as a kid diminishes as you get older and more cynical, but I try to hold onto that naivety as a source of creativity. The big thing is to stop caring about what people think. We’re too polite in Britain, too worried about fitting in, and that stops us from being more creative. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they might sound silly. I don’t give a damn. I’m always asking, “What’s this, what’s that?”
Continue reading...