Rich Henderson’s passion for cheffing not only landed him a dream career at a luxury hotel but also the coveted Young Chef award

IN the competitive catering industry a former Tavistock College student is being labelled as ‘one to watch’ after winning the sought-after Young Chef Young Waiter Competition in London.

Head chef judge Theo Randall said that Rich, who comes from Yelverton, was ‘going to go a long way in the industry’.

Rich made it to the final against five other chefs: ‘I thought I played the competition too safe. I only turned up with a truffle I got from my kitchen and my knives.

‘I didn’t think I was going to win as there were great chefs there.’

Chef Randall added: ‘Our Young Chef winner, Rich Henderson, was a fantastic character and had a really calm persona in the kitchen. He cooked really well under stress and his final dishes were absolutely flawless.’

Rich’s starter (pictured above) was pan roasted sea bass, melted leeks, Jerusalem artichoke, with Wiltshire truffle. The main was pot-roasted Guinea fowl, butternut squash and cumin purée, confit carrot, pickled raisin, pumpkin seed granola, yoghurt and a spiced almond jus gras. The dessert was a pear soufflé, roasted pear, blackberry compote. And all this success and praise for a ‘sixth-form drop-out’ shows that anything is possible as long as you have the determination to follow your passion!

Rich began his path into cheffing when he was 14 with a week’s work experience at Lydford Country House Hotel. Then when he was just about to turn 17 Rich dropped out of sixth form at Tavistock College.

His passion was still to work in a kitchen and he composed a letter to former Horn of Plenty head chef Peter Gorton, who suggested he worked for a summer at the hotel — followed by advice that he went to college.

Rich took heed of this advice and enrolled at City College Plymouth to study its cooking course — and it was in the second year that saw his leap into the cheffing world.

On the off-chance, Rich entered the Ray Kenny Bursary competition as its top prize was a work placement at Lucknam Park.

Unfortunately, he did not win — but he had already made a lasting impression on Lucknam’s head chef Hywel Jones.

Rich’s friend worked at Lucknam and heard Hywel talking about the passion of ‘one contestant’ at the Ray Kenny Bursary. He said that it was ‘Rich Henderson’ and put Hywel in contact with Rich who subsequently offered him a job.

‘I didn’t win but I got offered a job at Lucknam due to my passion,’ he said. ‘I started there in 2012 and worked there for five years until January 2017.

‘Hywel is a fantastic mentor — when I am head chef I want to be a product of his teaching. He is someone who wants you to earn your place there rather than being given it. He has been a massive support.’

In 2017, Rich travelled to New Zealand for three months before he made the move to Austria where he worked for Red Bull in its flagship restaurant Ikarus in Salzburg with some of the world’s most renowned chefs. But after more than a year and a half Rich said he struggled with depression and finding his motivation — and fell out of love with cooking.

‘I came home and did not want to pursue a career cooking and was looking for bar jobs and even a tattoo apprenticeship position.

‘I was low.’

Rich added: ‘Then a year ago, by chance, I was working with friends in Bath in a pub near Lucknam Park so I went back to the restaurant to see my old boss Hywel and he gave me my old job back.’

Rich said he wanted people to know how he struggled with depression as people were not always honest about how they were truly feeling: ‘I struggled but now I feel happy and I have turned it around and can be happy in my own skin again.

‘Cheffing keeps me humble and being back at Lucknam feels like home.’

We asked Rich these eight questions:

Favourite food memory?

Making sushi with my grandfather, whose family is Japanese.

What do you love most about your job?

The hotel is stunning and gorgeous. It’s pretty much every day that I am happy to go to work.

How do you get your inspiration?

I have always been ‘arty’ and have an artistic flair. I like cooking but I like making it look pretty.

Best cooking tip for a novice just getting into the business?

Just be polite and be passionate. Even if someone is being horrible, then politeness will ware them down.

Who in the food world do you most admire?

Hywel Jones.

Favourite foods to cook with?

Seafood.

Are there any foods you just don’t like?

No.

What is going to be the next big thing in the food world?

Less formal dining. The amount of money people are earning means they don’t have a lot of money for formal dining. Informal dining is on the rise.