Happy Birthday Dan! From his secret recipe Tomato Pasta to cooking Braais, Chef Dan’s culinary journey is as legendary as his kitchen hacks! Read his birthday blog below and get the inside scoop on his foodie favourites and kitchen secrets.

What’s your ultimate comfort food? The one thing you’d eat in your PJs on a lazy Sunday?
Mexican style Breakfast Burrito – homemade of course. Needs Refried Beans or you are doing it wrong! PJs & Burritos = Sunday goals!
What’s the most surprising ingredient you’ve fallen in love with? Something you never expected to enjoy cooking with?
Sichuan pepper (Chinese prickly ash). I had never heard of it before I trained to be a chef, now it’s my go-to spice for Chinese food.

What’s your ultimate cooking hack that’ll totally level up your kitchen game?
Purèeing garlic! Super fast and easy, but essential for getting the maximum amount of flavour out of the stuff! Purèeing garlic, taught with many other tips on our Knife Skills Class

You’re at the supermarket on a bit of a budget and need to whip up a dinner party, what’s on the menu?
It’s got to be an Italian menu, Bruschetta followed by a delicious Tomato Pasta (secret recipe) and finally some Tiramisu. Ok, but we’re gonna need that recipe!


We all love a cheeky takeaway now and then – what’s your go-to spot in London when you’re too tired to cook?
Burger Bitez near Wembley, a little out the way from my residence in Battersea but fantastic burgers! Always worth a trek for a burger!

Imagine your dream birthday meal – what’s on the menu, and where are you eating it?
I am eating in my home away from home in South Africa, having a Braai in the warm evening, absolute heaven! Avenue team birthday celebration at yours in SA!?

Are there any foodie rules or trends you think are just total nonsense? (Looking at you, gold-leaf on everything…)
Putting a block of cream cheese in every meal, despise it! However, I know it is a fan favourite :/

If you could swap jobs with any chef in the world for one day, who would it be, and why?
René Redzep (Head chef of Noma) or Andrew Rea (Binging with Babish) I would swap with René because I’d love the challenge of seeing if I would be able to keep Noma from losing all credibility in the one day I take over! Andrew because his creation of food from movies and TV shows was one of the reasons I fell in love with cooking! Big shoes to fill, but love the ambition! We believe in you Dan :D

London’s packed with amazing restaurants – what’s your top hidden gem that we all need to try?
Fowl, sorry vegans, but this place is the T*ts. Well, we can see a Maitake Mushroom burger on the menu so I guess there’s something for Vegans also!

Lastly, what is your food nemesis?
Croissants, a real love-hate relationship, I feel like I might need to bite the bullet and buy a laminating machine. Let’s turn this into a real LOVE relationship

Thanks, Dannykins (as Diana would say)! Have an amazing birthday and we can’t wait to try that Tommy Pasta and a cheeky team trip to SA!