As it’s Richards birthday we are treating you to an ‘interview’ with 10 Q&A’s so we can understand this crazy cat a bit more…

What is your favourite recipe to cook at the moment?

Since our trip to Sri Lanka last Christmas, I have been absolutely loving exploring more Sri Lankan recipes! My favourite at the moment is our Cashew Curry which we teach on our NEW Sri Lankan Class (click here for details).

Favourite restaurant in London and why?

Oooh tricky one…but at the moment it has to be Chicama on the Kings Road. It is a Peruvian restaurant – you all have to try the Tapioca Marshmallows (really interesting) and the Buttered Bourbon cocktail, it will change your life.

If you were hosting a dinner party at The Avenue which 4 celebs (dead or alive) would you invite?  

YES – this sounds amazing! OK it would have to be:

Stephen Fry – because he is truly a beautiful man.

David Attenborough – because the conversation would be amazing and I have so many questions for him!

Raymond Blanc – because he has the best smile, and I just want him to smile at ME! Then we could just talk about food all evening and it would be great.

Harold McGee – because we could just geek out on food tips and science.

It really would be a night of laughter, wisdom, understanding the meaning of life. So yeah, sounds like a pretty big night ahead!

Top 5 favourite classes to teach at The Avenue and why?

Bao Class  – because it is bao-fully bloody brilliant

Pasta Workshop – as it’s quick and delicious

Sri Lankan Class – because the flavours are tasty like cheesy Quavers – not literally of course!

All You Can Eat Doughnut Class  – I’m a real chubster at heart, so the idea of bottomless doughnuts is a winner in my eyes.

70s Disco Dinner Party – I’ve got the disco fever, no seriously wheres John Travolta? I reckon he would absolutely love our Chicken Kievs, and he would 100% love my jazzy disco jacket!

What did you get up to in isolation?

I kept pretty busy in isolation – I am not used to having so much free time so I just built literally anything and everything. Just before lockdown I bought a van, so I spent pretty much 1000 hours (actually) turning my van into a mobile home with a pretty insane kitchen (if I do say so myself)! Then I also made a knife, a BBQ (Don’t judge the state of the BBQ, it is made from leftover oil barrels after all), oh and a pizza oven made of old bricks lying around my fathers sheds.

What is your favourite album to listen to in the kitchen?

EASY – it has to be Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Californication.

Special shout out to Hugh Laurie – Let Them Talk, I play this when I am trying to chill out and seduce myself with delicious food and blues …. did that sound a bit weird?

What is your go-to cocktail and where is your favourite place to enjoy it? 

It has to be an Old Fashioned, after a kite surf session, in my van with a beautiful view of the coast. Sounds like the dream!

What is your favourite thing to do in London other than hanging out at The Avenue? 

I love Climbing, I try to go pretty much every day before I teach in the evenings. They reopen on 1st August so that’s where I will be when not in the kitchen! Then I guess just getting up to general shenanigans.

If you had to teach 1 class at The Avenue every day for a whole year which class would you pick and why?

This sounds like a terrible idea, there is too much delicious food out there to only pick one class … but I guess if I have to choose I would go with our Mexican Class as there are so many different flavour combinations you could do with tacos and wraps. Please don’t make me do this though!

Would you rather sweat Manilife Peanut Butter or have arms made of Willies Chocolate?

Now, this is a seriously tough one. I am obsessed with Manilife peanut butter and Willies chocolate. Okay so if I only sweat peanut butter, what if I am next to someone with an allergy… but then again it is as delicious as F%@£! Then again, if I had arms made out of willies chocolate, I just wouldn’t have any arms … because I couldn’t be able to resist! So for the sake of my health and lifestyle, I think I would have to sweat Manilife peanut butter.

 

Right chaps that’s Richard in a nutshell!