Jessica White sits down with The London Carriage Works’ Executive Head Chef, Mike Keyon, to talk about menu inspiration, his journey to becoming a chef, and what makes Liverpool such a special place to cook.
It’s warm day in late August; the last of the summer sun pours through the windows of The London Carriage Works. I sit down with executive head chef Mike Kenyon while he has a brief moment between prep time and service to talk about his career, from his army days to now.
JW: Can you tell us in which moment you knew that you wanted to be a chef?
MK: It was probably from an early age in watching TV with my mother, watching Ready, Steady Cook and Boiling Point and seeing these infectious kitchens, which looked really exciting. I thought, that could be a piece of me.
JW: Where did you train?
MK: I joined the army was an army apprentice for two years in the kitchen. I then got posted to Sandhurst and cooked for the officers for a few years and then I joined hotels and restaurants.
JW: What was it like being an army chef?
MK: Busy, demanding, very, very disciplined, which is something I needed at an early age. It gave me a good grounding.
JW: Have you brought anything from that era to your kitchen now?
MK: Yes - I think structure is something I'm really big on. Discipline is something that we aim for – the guys tend to follow systems.
JW: Can you tell us about your journey to becoming Executive Head Chef at The London Carriage Works?
MK: Before this, I was working up and down the UK in different restaurants. I then started in contract catering and just getting different tastes of, different aspects of the trade, working with some great chefs. I was a sponge, absorbing as much knowledge as, as I could get, really, making me the chef I've become. I’ve been here for 8 years now.
JW: What’s been your favourite moment since joining the team here?
MK: Watching the team grow, promoting within, and winning accolades. Being featured in many guides and ultimately is getting the feedback from our customers as well, which is, is what would you do for.
JW: What makes Liverpool a special place to cook in?
MK: It's a close-knit family. Liverpool has a big market but it’s fine dining is quite small. There's not many players in that field. Liverpool is full of friendly locals and it's just a great city -- especially where I work, in the Georgian Quarter. From the outside it does attract a lot of foodies.
JW: Where do you fine inspiration from when creating new dishes?
MK: I find a lot of Inspiration that’s seasonal, and what's sustainable. And then, it could be as simple as being having maybe a takeaway or something. And you really enjoy it, and then you turn it upside on its head, and then you drill it down and make it into a fine dining dish. You could find [inspiration] absolutely anywhere.
JW: If you had to pick one dish on our current à la carte menu that everyone should try, which one would you pick?
MK: My personal favourite of them would have to be the honey roasted duck. There’s a nice crisp skin on that. We use the cooking liquor to make a nice sauce. We push that into a nice little, hot water pastry, make a pie out of it. Then we serve that with, elderberries and some, celeriac as well. Quite simple, but it's really, really great.
JW: What ingredients do you love working with the most?
MK: I love to combine food with all my favourite herbs, like rosemary and thyme, and then I really like unusual products. Things like beef shin, beef cheek, lamb shoulders, getting those to a restaurant standard.
JW: What advice would you give to aspiring chefs today?
MK: Listen work hard, keep your head down and don't be scared of the hours. It's not as bad as what people say!