Meet Trevor Blake, our Midlands and Oxfordshire Executive Chef!
- What was your first job in the industry? I worked part-time as well as doing full-time college in a west midlands hotel! I do believe it set me up with a great work ethic which you need as a chef.
- Why did you get into the hospitality industry? I gained a GCSE star for my tech work on a cake design and from that, I applied to what was Birmingham College of Food now the UCB which gave me a fantastic cooking education and also gave me a placement which turned into my first job. It’s come full circle now as Peach now take yearlong placement students from the UCB.
- Which of the pubs is your favourite and why? As a chef who floats between the Midlands and Oxford I could not have a favourite! I’ve always liked eating in one of our ultimate Head Chef, Leon Higham’s pubs, Leon has been at The One Elm, The Rose & Crown and now The Star & Garter and his menus and specials are always great.
- What inspires you? Good service, orgasmic food and teaching young chefs (plus front of house) about their part of service and then about the catering trade as a whole as we need to keep bringing through the next best caterers.
- Describe yourself in 3 words: Curly, Smiley and Sarcastic
- What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given? Adapt and overcome but also work smarter not harder
- Name four people you would invite to a dinner party: Michele Obama, Noel Gallagher, a younger Muhamad Ali and Marco Pierre White
- What is the most exciting thing about your job? It’s always about the people in any great business so working with the Chefs to the Poddies to the Ops Director and the Marketing team.
- And finally, one random fact about you! I have over 600 vinyl records.