Part 1 of our 60 second interview with Tom Shepherd

Tom Shepherd is the Michelin Star Head Chef of Adam’s Restaurant, Birmingham, and this year he will be judging Anchor's Chef of the Year 2018 competition.

Find out more about Tom with Part 1 of our 60 second interview:

Q. When did you decide that you wanted to become a chef?

I took a trainee manager’s course at New Hall Hotel in Walmley. It’s one of the oldest moated buildings in the UK where Henry Vlll was famously once entertained. I was 18 and part of the course was to spend three months in a kitchen. The head chef was Wayne Thompson. He drilled into me that the kitchen works on respect, something I’ve never forgotten. 

Q. How did you meet the restaurant owner, Adam Stokes?

I was approached by Adam via Twitter. He was changing things at Adam’s and wanted to chat to me about working there. He cooked me lunch and explained he was looking for someone to help evolve the restaurant. It’s a phenomenal restaurant and it was just perfect. I started in August and I haven’t taken my foot off the gas since!

Q. Do you have a favourite dish on the menu?

At the moment it is the veal sweetbread with mushroom ketchup. We poach and then deep fry the sweetbreads then serve them with an acidic shiitake puree, raw button mushrooms, dried cep powder and Westland’s mushroom leaf.

Q. What is your go-to meal for comfort eating

I know this sounds ridiculous, but you can’t beat a really good bacon sandwich and a nice mug of tea. It hits the spot every time.
 

The second part of our interview with Tom will be published later this week.

Find out more about Chef of the Year here.