What are your earliest memories of being interested in food?
My grandmother was Maltese and I always loved to get involved with her in the kitchen. My earliest memory would be our cannelloni made with Swiss chard, fresh cheese and pecorino.
What, or who, would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
High quality seasonal ingredients have been the inspiration behind my cooking.
Describe your culinary style…
I love to be able to experiment with different styles of cooking, for instance roasting, braising, glazing and frying. The most important thing for me is using top quality products and ingredients.
How would you say you haveintroducedthis style into the menu at Les 110 de Taillevent in London?
It’s a continuation of our ‘savoir-faire’ – I think it has the same spirit of cuisine, but with a little less technical detail and much more traditional recipes.
What do you think makes a restaurant or menu sosuccessful?
The success of a restaurant comes from the team who work there.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Olive oil
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self, starting out a career in the world of food?
Start an apprenticeship with a talented and exciting chef and never give up and be the hardest working person in the room. The road is very long, but it is a job which gives us so much happiness, joy, rigor and love.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate!
What restaurant is currently at the top of your list to dine at?
Tommy & Co in Paris
Find out more about Alain and Le Taillevent here…