Website: Chef Dom Taylor Kitchen
The total number of years spent in Hospitality?
20 years
What do you most enjoy about this industry?
I love the idea that food brings joy to people, whatever you’re doing, there is always food. You only have to think about a wedding, and the most important bit is the food, it isn’t just bringing two people together. I spent a long time working in hotels, and what I loved about it was that you were not just a part of the dinner experience, but also breakfast, room service, it all mattered. I love every aspect of food and drink.
What does a typical day look like for you?
When you own business, you work extremely long hours, but I do love it. I wake up early, go to Yoga at 10 am until 11:30 am. I then go and buy all of my supplies, arrive at work, do all of my preparation, paperwork, and then start service at 5 pm during the week. After service comes the clean down, head home, watch a bit of television, then bed and repeat.
Tell us something we might not know about the sector?
When I first talked to my friends about what I do, they did not understand the mechanics that make a food operation come together. They think that I am cooking and putting the food on a plate. The staffing element probably takes up 70% of my time, which can be a nightmare because whether your staff show up for work or not, you still have to make it all happen and deliver. The same with supplier deliveries, there are a lot of moving parts.
What has been the single most important piece of advice given to you?
I was working for Mark Hix, I was making a fritter, and was cutting the ingredients. In my mind, this one ingredient did not need that much care because it's lost in the mixture, and the chef came over and he was horrified. He told me that for every component, there needs to be love, and the end product is going to be love. This is now something that I say to my chefs. If you treat every component like it is the most glorious ingredient. The end product will be!
Three dinner guests of your choice?
Jamie Oliver, Ashley 'Rebel' Chef – my friend, Maya Angelou.
The last documentary watched and book read?
The last book was ‘Better than Before’ by Gretchen Rubin
Finish the sentence, the future in hospitality is……..
Forever changing and expanding, food is a certainty, but how is always changing.