Describe a memorable meal you've had while travelling? Anchovies everyway in Cetara. We’d had a fairly miserable time exploring the surroundings of Naples, Pompei was boiling and crawling with tourists, and our final stop for the day was this restaurant I’d seen on a cooking show in a tiny town famous for anchovies. It was almost bound to be awful, but instead was exceptional. The focus on a single peak-quality ingredient, the clifftop setting with the sea beneath us and the bad mood it all lifted me out of. Such a perfect memory that I’m almost afraid to go back!

You host a one-off dinner party on an island…who would you invite to share your table?Oliver Reed and Frankie Boyle for the chaos. David Bowie and Hugh Cornwell for the soundtrack. Peter Langan and Mark Durden Smith for the long lunch that quietly turns into a three-day bender. Liv Tyler for the grace. Martin Johnson for the fire. Peter Wheeler and David Hackett for the stories that start in boardrooms and end in bars. And Dotty, because every table needs someone who keeps it human when the legends start taking themselves too seriously.

What ingredient would you take to a desert island with you, and why? I am completely obsessed with Red Panda Chilli Crisp chilli oil. It has just the right amount of heat to it and is the ultimate final ingredient – I add it to fish, meat, noodles, rice, salads and even cheese. I like the fact it is made by an Asian street food duo, produced in their farm kitchen in Devon, and this recipe, they say, has taken them years to perfect. It is a blend of spicy and fragrant red chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, fermented black beans and crunchy onions, and it would simply have to come with me!

What ingredient would you take to a desert island with you, and why? One ingredient is very mean, I would take king prawns, cooked on the grill. I would also need garlic and butter, bread, Spanish ham and olives. My favourite food is tapas; I much prefer to snack on delicious food all day. I spend my days tasting food, so I never want to eat big plates of food. And besides, on a desert island, a pile of small plates shared at sunset feels far more civilised than any lonely feast ever could.

Describe a memorable meal you've had while travelling ? One of my favourites is at a mountain restaurant in my favourite ski resort Zermatt. Following a few hours skiing arriving to have the same dish of mushroom soup topped with the puffiest pastry top you have ever seen, followed by a main course of lamb wellington, yes double pastry in one meal! Washed down with bubbles and gluhwein. The menu has stayed the same since I first went at the age of 10, and there is something so comforting and homely about it, yet decadent.

Who is your culinary inspiration? Rafael Cagali. Having worked for him, I admire his abundance of finesse while staying true to his vision and roots, yet still able to keep an element of playfulness in everything he does. It’s like working with a kid in a candy store. He cooks with discipline but never with fear. Watching him work reminds you that great food doesn’t have to shout to be heard, it just has to mean something. And when it lands, it feels personal, like it was made for you, not for the room.

You can have a one-off dinner party on an island…who would you invite to the table? My wife and family. If I am going to have an amazing experience, I would want to share it with the people closest to me. And Francis Mallmann, a chef from Argentina who cooks over open flames. The life this man has lived, I am sure he would have incredible stories to share. There would be no rush and no phones, just fire, meat, salt and time. Family at one end of the table and a wild philosopher of fire at the other, with food cooked slowly over flames, wine poured generously, and conversations that drift from childhood memories to Patagonia and back again.

Describe a memorable meal you've had while travelling? Mirissa, Sri Lanka. A fisherman paddled in on a canoe with a crate of red snapper still twitching with life, wrapped it in foil with God-knows-what spices and laid it straight onto a grill bolted to the side of his boat. His wife appeared with a perfect crispy jacket potato, hot from the ashes. I was about to order something else, but she stopped me and said, “Have the special. It’s just arrived.” It was eaten straight from the foil in a tiny shack on the beach with sand underfoot and smoke in the air, and halfway through, a prehistoric-looking turtle hauled itself out of the sea to lay eggs nearby. No menu, no theatre, no pretence.

What is your favourite season in terms of produce? Summer is my favourite season when it comes to produce. The sheer abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables available during this time make it a delight. Fresh British berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are at their peak. Tomatoes, bursting with flavour, are perfect for making fresh salsas, sauces, or simply enjoying with a sprinkle of salt.  

Who is your culinary inspiration? The late Professor John Huber. Swiss legend, all round pastry hero, he was the best example of teaching through positivity and encouragement. He revolutionised pastry by developing training curriculums with City&Guilds in UK alongside the Roux brothers, and teaching at TVU/ WLU for many years .

Which dish best represents your culture? I would say Żurek — a sour rye soup that’s sometimes served in a hollow loaf of bread. It’s been popular all over Poland for a thousand years, and it’s basically the same dish today. It’s homey, and says a lot about our history.

Tell us about a dish, tradition or recipe that represents your culture or heritage. A braai (or BBQ if you’re English). Growing up on the coast in South Africa, cooking food over the fire, especially fresh fish and seafood that we had caught that day, was a big part of the culture that I grew up in.