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...For
you will find James not in a studio, but in the kitchen - a radical
concept it seems, in today's culinary world!
That's certainly where I found him when I visited the beautiful
Waterdine Inn & Restaurant in the small village of Llanfair
Waterdine on the Shropshire/Powys border.
James has been training at the restaurant since he was 16, under
the expert and experienced eye of Chef and owner Ken Adams.
The two
clearly enjoy working together, and Ken has been very supportive of
James, particularly when it comes to compiling his NVQ portfolio.
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James,
making a desert similar to last year's prize-winning entry.
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It was
also Ken who suggested that James enter the Young Chefs Competition
at the 2002 Ludlow Food & Drink Festival. James (also the youngest
competitor) duly walked away with the trophy.
His winning dish was a Poached Pear and Kirsch Parfait with a Winberry
Sorbet - a desert that drew praise from judges and Les Routier chefs
Tracy Turner and Peter Gartell.
To a stranger, James seems unassuming and certainly a little withdrawn.
But within the kitchen he was visibly more comfortable. Dishes were
prepared with utter purpose and focus. The transformation was difficult
to miss.
Vocation
To James, this has always been something of a calling. His passion
for cooking was awakened when he was only eight and he remembers his
mother's encouragement even at that young age.
Whilst most teenagers (and many adults) have trouble deciding on their
path in life, James has wanted to cook for as long as he can remember,
and set about achieving his goal after leaving school at 14.
After a spell in a baker's, James enrolled on a catering course at
Powys College, just over the border in Newtown. His next step was
to respond to an advert posted by Ken, who was looking for a part-time
assistant in the kitchen.
After becoming frustrated in the often basic environment of his college
course, James threw himself fully into the testing world of the commercial
kitchen.
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Ken
Adams and James in the kitchen
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James
remembers the situation at college where 20 students would often prepare
food for only 10 guests. Now he works within a kitchen team of two,
although a college assessor still visits James at The Waterdine and
he in turn submits work towards an NVQ.
This is one profession that ultimately you need to learn in the workplace,
not the classroom.
Despite the intense environment and unsociable hours, James finds
his work incredibly rewarding. His main enjoyment comes from "getting
dishes right" and consequently gets frustrated when things go
wrong.
He even admits to being stumped by choux pastry for a while (something
that he now laughs off as though it were the simplest thing in the
world!).
You take bits from everyone. You look at someone's recipe and
think that would be nice with this, or if I change that, it
would be good.
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James
Kinghorn
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Like all top restaurants, The Waterdine creates everything from scratch
- bread, pasta, ice cream, sorbet, and more are all produced from
their raw ingredients, with not a packet in sight.
James particularly enjoys making pasta and its fillings, and was only
too happy to offer me a recipe.
While I'm rather proud of my cooking, and consider myself quite capable
of making a rather mean spag bol, James' generous offer left me feeling
more than a little inadequate.
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Making
use of the wonderful local produce
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You'd
expect, that with such a talented chef in their midst, James' family
would make the most of his abilities. But they don't get the chance.
While mum, dad and the rest of the family are sitting down to eat
in Knighton, James is busy boiling, frying, chopping, sautéing
and flambéing just down the road in Llanfair Waterdine.
In what little spare time he gets, James enjoys a game of football
and has even been known to drag his mates into a kitchen - something
neither he, nor they will repeat in a hurry!
The future
James would eventually like to run his own restaurant, though plans
on a bit of travelling beforehand, sampling other cultures and their
food.
In the mean time, he seems to have fallen on his feet. The Waterdine
has a strong reputation in the foodie world, despite the fact that
it feels as if it's in the middle of nowhere.
While
it is well supported by the local community, it also regularly attracts
diners from further afield, including Birmingham and even London.
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On
the edge of Shropshire
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Where
possible, the restaurant sources supplies locally and benefits from
the quality of the produce on their doorstep.
Much of the fruit, vegetables and herbs are even grown in the restaurant's
own garden by Ken's dedicated (and long-suffering) wife Isabel.
The lure of the food draws visitors along narrow, windy, awkward
and yet incredibly picturesque lanes towards one of Shropshire's
most remote villages. While the location may not be central, the
food certainly is.
You can contact The Waterdine Inn & Restaurant via its website.
The
BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
If you would like more information on the Ludlow Young Chefs Competition,
e-mail Alex
Perks. The 2003 competition will remain open to new entries
until the 5th September.
Judging
will take place at the Food & Drink Festival on Friday 12th
September. This year's judges will be Michelin Star Chefs Shaun
Hill and Claude Bosi.
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