We had a chat with aspiring chef and owner of Hook & Cook, Kieran, about chef life in and out of lockdown, why he loves pop ups…and just how he got the title of ‘Hand Deck and General Dogsbody’.
Tell us a little about yourself and your current ventures.
I have my own startup side project, Hook & Cook Street Food, which I manage around my ‘day’ job as a sous chef for The Kentish Hare. The Kentish Hare is a fantastic gastro pub within the Top 50 Gastro Pubs in the UK and is managed by the Tanner brothers, Chris and James. The Tanners have been around for 20 years based in Plymouth, so the The Kentish Hare is a story of the South East meets South West. Our produce is sourced from British suppliers, for example, our fish comes from the Looe, Cornwall. I really enjoy working with the team and James and Chris are incredibly supportive of my career.
Back in 2019 I came up with a concept for Hook & Cook as a saw a gap in the market for street food purely focused on fish. I used my days off to experiment with different flavours and dishes and invited my friends over to try them out. It’s really evolved from the initial dishes such as curries to a refined and unique menu of fish tacos and burgers.
How did you come to be a chef?
People usually say their mum’s cooking, however, for me it was the opposite! My mum wasn’t the best cook, so I always wanted to create something special for the family.
I then actually fell into the hospitality industry after leaving school. I was supposed start a course to be a tree surgeon, but I’m scared of heights, so it was never going to be the career for me! During that summer between school and college I got a front of house job at the luxury hotel and restaurant Nutfield Priory in Surrey. The kitchen needed an extra pair of hands to prepare the Afternoon Tea sandwiches and they offered me an apprenticeship. I absolutely loved it and the rest is history.
What’s been the highlight of chef life?
Being a chef is definitely character building. At 16 I was the baby of the kitchen and had to grow up quickly. While working in the kitchen can be tough, it’s also a lot of fun – I have a fond memory of the head chef clamping dog clips to hold up my oversized uniform to stop them from falling down. They only thing is I couldn’t move around properly!
I’ve worked with hundreds of amazing chefs and it has such a family feel – years on I still chat to my first team on a weekly basis.
What you have been up to during lockdown?
The Kentish Hare closed before the first national lockdown and reopened in July all the way through to the end of October but has sadly remained closed during this lockdown. To keep me busy, I’ve done all the lockdown activities on the bingo card, apart from making my banana bread!
I’ve turned my garden into an allotment to grow my own produce – although I got a bit over-excited and grabbed anything and everything I could plant so it’s not exactly ‘seasonal’! I’m also building my own dark kitchen so I can do more Hook & Cook home deliveries and catering, in addition to pop ups and hitting the festivals this year (hopefully!).
What do you enjoy most about running Hook & Cook pop ups?
I really enjoy the interactivity and talking to customers as opposed to working in a closed kitchen. Pop ups are also more playful and people generally buy more into you and your concept. I like to use customers as a soundboard for the next pop up – you’re always learning and growing as you go.
I’ve also really enjoyed having the freedom to develop my own fish-focused menu – I love introducing customers to fish, especially those who say they don’t like fish, so I often take inspiration from popular restaurants or familiar flavours and pair them with different varieties of fresh fish. For example, people seem to love Wagamama, so I’ve used some of these Asian flavours to inspire my own Hook & Cook take on it.
And how did you get the name ‘Deck Hand and General Dogsbody’?
When you’re a startup or sole trader you have to everything from ringing suppliers, finding locations, preparing menus, cooking and marketing – so I’ve given myself the appropriate title of ‘Deck Hand and General Dogsbody’!
The big question is, what do you have planned for your TEMP pop up later in the year?
The Hook & Cook pop up can go in any direction, but my only rules are is it has to be British and sustainable.
I’m really excited to experiment with a pop up restaurant and set away from the street food model. I’m inspired by the idea of a River Cottage dining experience to showcase the dishes I’ve developed over the years. I can’t wait to introduce new people to fish, broaden their culinary palette through different flavours and hopefully change their perception when it comes to fish!
We can’t wait to see Hook & Cook’s pop up restaurant come to life! You can follow Kieran and his venture @hookandcookstreetfood
If you interested in embarking on your own TEMP pop up journey at any of our ventures, you can register for free here.