John Rudden
1. What was your first job?
First commis chef, Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate
2. What made you decide that you wanted to be a chef?
Aged 11, I watched my elder brother cooking in an Italian restaurant and remember thinking,"I can do that"
3. What is your favourite restaurant?
Pierre Koffman's La Tante Claire in London
4. What is your favourite wine and what would you serve it with for that perfect meal?
Campo Viejo Rioja 1983 with a fillet of beef with sautéd langoustines and sweetbreads
5. Are there any foods or ingredients you refuse to eat or cook with? If so, why?
Radicchio because it's bitter and does nothing for me; star fruit because I find it disgusting; and powder bouillon stocks because they're corner-cutting and result in a bad sauce
6. What was the worst thing you had to do as part of your job?
Sacking staff. Fortunately, I've only had to do it four or five times in three years but it gives me butterflies in my stomach
7. What is your favourite holiday destination?
Monte Carlo, because it's like a different world with a great way of life
8. How do you relax when you're away from work?
Eating out, watching football, and swimming with my daughter
9. Who is your favourite supplier of the moment, and why?
HN Nuttals, in Hyde, Manchester (0161-367 8292) for a great range of dry store goods with impeccable quality and service
10. What is the best film you have seen?
Murder in the First
11. Describe yourself in five words
Sarcastic, picky, fair, hard-working, reliable
12. Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Owning two or three restaurants and still cooking
13. What is your favourite prepared food product?
Flavoured oils from Game Larder specialist foods in Manchester (0161-834 8982)
14. Who would be in your ultimate "fantasy brigade"?
Simon Radley, of Nunsmere Hall; Paul Reed, of the Chester Grosvenor; Pierre Koffmann, of La Tante Claire; David Alton, of Rookery Hall; and Lee Canning, my sous chef here at the White Hart Inn
