Top chef Novelli says train in pubs
by Max Gosney
Pubs eclipse restaurant rivals in the grooming of future chef talent according to Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.
The French chef, who is chef/patron at restaurants Novelli in the City at the London Capital Club and Auberge Du Lac, Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, revealed how the superiority of pub kitchens had influenced his daughter Christina Novelli's recent decision to train at the Centurion, New Milton, Hampshire.
He said: "Working in a pub is the best way of developing a career in the catering trade. Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay offered my daughter a position in their restaurants but I urged her to go for a pub."
Junior chefs benefit from a more comprehensive skill set from pub training compared to restaurants according to Novelli, who began working in the UK at Keith Floyd's Maltsters Arms pub in Tuckenhay, Devon, more than 20 years ago.
"Pub chefs have to create menus on a tight budget and that food must tempt customers who tend to go out just to drink," he said. "I think it teaches chefs the basics of catering and I would recommend young people do it."
Novelli said he has ambitions to acquire a pub within the next 10 years. The venue would include a daily specials selection of "simple, quick and not too clever" dishes according to Novelli.
He added: "I'd have a menu with fresh fish, meat and things like mashed potato. People who go out to pubs want to see food that's fresh, homemade and relaxed. They don't want towered restaurant-style dishes."
The French chef also praised pubs for "leading the way" in the progression of British eateries over the past 20 years.
