With spring in the air, and as we head towards a new month, we’d like to introduce our brand new feature: ‘meet the team’.
First up is our company head chef Robert Milligan.
Where are you from?
Dagenham, East London.
How long have you been with the company?
Nine years in June, including seven with Harbour & Jones.
What career path would you have chosen if you hadn’t been a chef?
I decided from a pretty early age that I wanted to be a chef, so never really considered anything else. However, if I had to choose another path now, it would be something in the travel industry.
What, or who, inspires you?
I get inspired by the younger generation of chefs. I have a classical training background and it’s very inspiring to see younger chefs challenging those classics and pushing the boundaries of food and service.
What do like to do when you are not in the kitchen?
I love travelling and some of my colleagues do question how many holiday days I have a year: it’s all legitimate I promise!
I also enjoy keeping fit and spending time with my dogs. The perfect escape for me is fishing, although I don’t get to do that as often as I would like.
Name the kitchen gadget that you could not live without?
There are so many gadgets in the kitchen now and I love my Thermomix which covers many jobs and also gives great consistency, but being a company chef and being renowned for travelling light due to site visits, the tomato knife is the go-to gadget for me. It’s small, covers all manner of jobs and fits easily in the rucksack.
Name either your guilty pleasure or favourite tipple?
My guilty pleasure is Cadbury chocolate – especially Fruit & Nut, no posh chocolate for me!
My favourite tipple is an ice-cold beer in a glass that’s just been taken out of the freezer – it reminds me of being on holiday
Who are three people, past or present that you would like to have dinner with?
Alex Ferguson – I am a big Man Utd fan.
My Dad’s brother, who I was named after. I never got a chance to meet him but everyone in the family has said he was an amazing man. He’d also get on well with Alex Ferguson as he was Glaswegian too.
Jennifer Lawrence. Yes, guilty, I’m as shallow as a puddle!
Thank you for taking the time out for us Rob.