Meet Me. Paul Jowett

Well. We might as well kick things off by saying hello! I'm Paul Jowett and I'm the owner at... Paul Jowett, Private Chef! To be honest with you, I've spent a few years thinking about what's the best way to brand and name what I do.

We've been Herb-N-Harvest Group/Catering/Dine/Revive/Events for a few years now and I've always been precious about it because it was something I set-up with my best pal George Pighills. Unfortunately we set it up just before the pandemic (yep a great time to go into being a private chef in people's homes and catering for their weddings I know) and with no income at all, George needed to go and get regular income with a newborn on the way! We're still best mates and one day in the near future, I'm certain George will be back cooking with me. 

That said, all the best chefs are known by who they are. No fancy brand names, no clever jargons. Paul Jowett, Private Chef & Event Catering. And here we are, ready to cook my way through 2022.

Anyway, I thought I'd introduce myself and "The Ultimate Foodie" which is my blog that I hope will bring some inspiration, fun and vibrancy for those that want to read it and take some influence from me along the way. Here's what you can expect:

• Get to know what life is like as a Private Chef
• Try my flavoursome recipes, cocktails and experiments
• Learn new skills you can take into your kitchen
• Inspire your next event, special occasion or dinner party

I caught up with the ace Puzzle Projects recently, here goes:

Great to chat Paul and thanks for taking the time to catch up with us at Puzzle Projects. Let's ask a few questions to get to know you better!

What is your earliest & first food memory when you were younger?
 
Making homemade burgers with my dad, he taught me about flavour combinations, whilst letting your creative juices flow & not necessarily sticking to a set recipe or way to do things. Most things taste better if you do it yourself & didn't always have to be the same every time. Also, a big shout out to my grandmas’ corn-beef hash and lemon drizzle cake!

What foods/styles of cuisines did you grow up on?
 
Hearty, home-cooked food was the name of the game in my early years with a bit of "tapas" whilst washing up as a young 14-year-old. Then professionally I worked in some of Yorkshire finest hotels and restaurants, where seasonal, local produce was the name of game. Plucking and gutting 1000’s of partridge from the Coniston estate whilst learning my trade in their hotel kitchens to running the restaurant of the 3 rosette-d Angel Hetton, focused on Yorkshire produce with a gastropub, French techniques. That led me onto the Michelin starred box tree, which fine-tuned my skills is classic French cookery, which taught me precision, discipline and fire in my belly to let my creative juices flow. 
 
Were any of your family members really into food & influenced you to?
 
My Dad & brother both also chefs, my Dad was the biggest inspiration to be a chef (even though he warned me against it).
 
Describe a powerful food memory from this & why it was powerful?
 
Spending time as a family cooking, eating & talking food. My dad was mentioned in the foreword of Michelin starred Chef James McKenzie of the Pipe & Glass Inn's book, as a big inspiration in his career as he gave James his first opportunity as head chef in a kitchen, whilst my dad run and owned the Park restaurant Filey. Where are young boys me and & Adam grew up from a very early age around the restaurant environment? Also, a powerful memory that sticks with me strongly in my mind is when I got my first head chef job at the tender age of 22 when writing my first menus I thought I knew it all, but my Dad would also proofread them for me, offering advice and fair criticism as a form of guidance. This was also whilst he was very ill, and I was caring for him at the same time as trying to run my first professional kitchen.
 
Tell us about the meal anywhere in the world you attended that changed your life?
 
Le Montrachet in Burgundy France, I'd eaten at Michelin restaurants before, but this was simple, classic French cooking at its best with an amazing setting & even better wines. (been back 3 times since)
 
 
Tell me about how & when you first realised you wanted to cook professionally?
 
After failing my first year of 6th form at school, I felt a change was needed academically so went to catering college & the rest is history as they say!
 
How long have you cooked professionally for?
 
15 years in 2021
 
Please list the years and places you have worked professionally?

• Coniston Hall hotel – June 2008 – September 2009
• The Angel Inn Hetton - September 2009 – September 2011
• The Box Tree - Ilkley - September 2011- June 2012
• Craven Heifer Addingham - June 1012 – March 2013
• Jowett Catering/ Aspire Leeds - December 2013 – August 2017
• Heaney & Mill Headingley - August 2017 – April 2018
• Chaplin Gjovik, Norway - September 2018 – June 2019

 
Which of these places had the biggest impact on you professionally & why?
 
The Angel Inn, it was steeped in history as the first destination "gastropub" in the country, & as a young chef with big ambitions but still little experience it taught me teamwork, discipline but we were always encouraged to bring out our creative side. The kitchen was run by Bruce Elsworth & Mark Taft and they both individually taught & showed me skills which have ultimately defined my career to date. Everything there was made fresh, using seasonal local suppliers. Stocks and sauces were done properly, meat & fish was prepped daily & no corners were cut it showed me a truly professional kitchen, which was something I very much wanted to be a part of. I worked my way up from a young commis chef to running the 3-rosette restaurant within 2 years,  The experience I learnt & skills I gained here got me a job at the Michelin starred box tree, before going onto to heading my first kitchen after there, so it was the cornerstone of my career. 
 
What was the most frustrating thing you encountered when learning to cook? Could be a technique, or a physical, mental or emotional situation?

I used to hate it when I made mistakes as I young chef and it's still the same today, I put so much pressure on myself mentally & professionally to be the best I can be when things don’t go to plan it can get me down.
 
When did the idea for your business come about?

I'd been running kitchens and events for several years but always for other people & decided it was my time to make a name for myself, I had just come back home from working in Norway & eating my way around Europe.  George was also in a similar situation then it was then a few months of planning going back and forth with names and ideas of the direction we wanted to go HNH was formed and we've never looked back since.
 
When did you launch Herb 'N' Harvest Catering and no Paul Jowett, Private Chef?
 
October 2019
 
What areas in the world do you cover?
 
We would always consider worldwide bookings & events, but we are currently based in West Yorkshire but have already taken our company to Norway in the short time we have been trading.
 
What services do you provide?

• Private dining experience - as little as 8- 100 people bespoke menus for the client and their guests
• Freelance/relief chefs - we have a team of chefs ready for any relief chef/ temp work
• Consultancy – we can help and new or existing hospitality companies that are struggling or need our experience and guidance, whether that be in profit-making or training of staff
• Events – weddings, hen do’s, stag do’s birthday parties, pretty much everything! From small to large events everything would be considered and carefully planned and worked out

What makes you a stronger choice of caterer than others?
 
The personal experience we deliver to our clients through professionalism & experience. We don't cut corners & it's the overall experience we want to provide for our customers that is our real focus! We only use fresh produce & also make everything ourselves unless we can buy it better!
 
What special gadgets do you use to produce your cooking?

We use a thermoregulator & vac pack machine to sous vide cook some meat products, this cooks the product at a set temperature for a certain amount of time to break down the fibres in the meat, locking in flavour & keeping the product juicy and tender.
 
What is your favourite piece of kitchen kit?

Thermo mixer, its versatile & gains fantastic results, helps us create silky-smooth purees, velvety veloute & blitzes pretty much anything! 
   
What, are your kitchen rituals?
 
The 6 P's is a motto I live by, Prior, Preparation, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance. Which includes always been set for the event or service you are going into. Always start the day with a coffee also!
 
Where is the strangest place you got inspiration from?

I got a request for a "Freddo" themed dessert for an event, this then gave me creative license to create a dessert based on a childhood memory through trying to recreate the flavour & presentation.
 
Is there any piece of kitchen kit that you are itching to get your hands on?

I'd love to be able to use a Pacojet machine to create crazy & delicious new flavour combinations through sorbets & ice creams.  Such a fantastic piece of kit & so easy to use!
 
How many days/months/years does it take you to produce a finished dish on average?
 
I feel every time you redo a dish you've done for years there are always ways you can improve or tweak it, so is a dish ever finished?
 
What makes your business interesting?
 
We know our craft and we love what we do, all without the textbook chef ego.
 
Why should people use you?
 
We are a young ambitious team of chefs that lets our food & exceptional customer service do the talking.
 
What ambitions or goals do you have have for 2022  and the future?
 
To the grow the business more, firstly in England doing more events & private dinner parties to then in the future taking to Europe & would love to start cooking and doing events globally.
 
Inspiration often strikes in many forms and at any moment, where do you get your inspiration from?
 
It could be going to a supermarket & seeing some amazing looking produce, to watching a chef tv programme to seeing something on social media or eating out at restaurants  
 
Describe the key content of your kitchen that you use every day?
 
Rational oven
 
Do you arrange your kitchen in a certain way, if so, why?
 
Just whichever is the most effective in service to get the best product to the customers
 
Please tell us what genre & style of dishes you are working on now? Something that gets your creativity or you buzzing?
 
Trying out new flavour combinations & playing around with old classics to bring an original, fresh feel to the menus. I always base my dishes around Textures, colours & flavours that work harmoniously together. New techniques & ingredients I haven’t used or worked with before, get my creative juices flowing & always puts a smile on my face.
 
What needs to change in the food industry? Be direct and don’t be afraid to call out behaviour from certain companies or organisations or movements (no names though!)
 
Staff need to be appreciated more, whether it's a chef or any hospitality worker they are generally always looked at as a number rather than a person. I have felt overworked and under-appreciated many times when you effectively give your life and all your physical and emotional energy into someone’s business that is often overlooked. The industry we are in is very hard, but you will give your blood, sweat & tears into a project if you can fully buy into the ethos of the company or person who is leading it. That you will be valued & feel part of a team that is creating something amazing!
 
Do you have any final words for readers about your plans or upcoming projects?
 
We as a team & company will always try and adapt to any circumstance, we find ourselves in & never give up on the dream and long-term plan of mine.

Thank you Paul for that fantastic insight into you as a chef and human – which we love both very much!
 
Ben
Puzzle Projects