Yes, chef: The kitchen equipment the UK’s top chefs swear by
Take cues from these gastronomy greats to kit out your kitchen in the very best
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Fans of the extremely bingeable (if occasionally stressful) hit series The Bear have undoubtedly been waiting for its third season with all the patience of Carmy trying to get out of a walk-in freezer (IYKYK). Good news: the wait is almost over, with new episodes dropping on 27 June 2024. But razor-sharp dialogue and sizzling (excuse the pun) chemistry aside, The Bear’s popularity is due in no small part to its realistic portrayal of a cut-throat fine dining kitchen. And, while the mounting tensions make for great drama, it’s hard not to notice the exceptional kitchen equipment featured in many of the frenzied shots. From classic navy aprons to stainless steel frying pans, Carmy and co’s kitchen is extremely covetable.
You can shop the pans and knives from Carmy’s kitchen on many corners of the internet. But, instead of looking to a fictional chef, why not consult some real-life gastronomy experts to whip your kitchen into shape? As the chaotic Chicago kitchen returns to our screens, reigniting our inner home chefs, we asked Britain’s top chefs for the kitchen tools and gadgets they simply couldn’t do without.
From Graham Squire’s bottle of bubbly at The Goring to Benares executive chef Sameer Taneja’s love of Japanese knives, read on for the expert-approved kitchen equipment that’ll have you whipping up a feast at home.
Graham Squire: Ayala champagne
The Goring Eggs Drumkilbo
Formerly of Claridge’s, chef Graham Squire recently helped shape the newly relaunched, Michelin-starred London institution The Goring Dining Room. We won’t wax poetic about the refresh for several paragraphs (we’ve already done that here), we will say that it is hardly surprising that Squire’s kitchen must-have is all about hospitality: a cold bottle of bubbly in the fridge “for welcoming guests to the kitchen counter in our completely new kitchen!”
Ayala Brut Nature champagne
Sameer Taneja: Sunlong chef’s knives
Baked Malabar Scallop
Heading, in our opinion, London’s best Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, chef Sameer Taneja has been whipping up exquisite Indian fine dining at Benares in Mayfair since 2011. Whether cooking his signature dal makhani (black lentil curry) or moreish tandoori offerings of chicken tikka and lamb seekh kebab, the celebrated chef from Delhi swears by Japanese knives. His go-to at Benares is the eight-inch Gyuto chef's knife by Sunlong; “It’s a well-balanced knife made with high quality stainless steel. The blade is very thin and has been hammered to allow you to glide easily through meat, fish and vegetables.”
SUNLONG chef knife 8-inch Gyuto
Adam Harper: Konro grill
Planning a holiday in the Peak District? You’d be remiss not to stay at the stunning Cavendish Hotel. As well as an elegant facade and collection of original artwork and antiques, the hotel also boasts a three AA Rosette restaurant where head chef Adam Harper plates up modern dishes made with local and seasonal produce. His kitchen go-to? A small Konro BBQ grill.
“Its versatility allows you to prepare a variety of dishes, from seared steaks to grilled vegetables, with precise heat control,” he says. “The smoky flavour it imparts is unmatched, enhancing everything from meats to fish. Additionally, it adds a pleasant aesthetic and ambience to your kitchen, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere for gatherings. In short, a Konro BBQ grill elevates your cooking, offering versatility, flavour, convenience, and an enhanced dining experience.”
Small Konro grill
Jun Tanaka: Japanese mandoline
Always wanted to replicate the uniform dice of vegetables served at fine dining restaurants? Head chef of Michelin-starred The Ninth, Jun Tanaka, has the answer: a Japanese mandoline. “We use this to slice vegetables for pickling or for brunoise (small dice). It saves time and the thickness of the vegetable is more even compared to using a knife,” he says. While for a taste of his scrumptious duck cannelloni or roast king oyster mushroom, you’ll still have to make the voyage to the restaurant’s Charlotte Street address, now you can replicate his masterfully diced vegetables at home with ease.
OXO good grips chef’s mandoline
Elliott Grover: Le Creuset spatula
Helming Wolfgang Puck’s only UK outpost might be a tall order, but Elliott Grover – formerly of Scott’s, Duck and Waffle and Millie’s Lounge at The Ned – shoulders the pressure of Cut at 45 Park Lane with ease. The one thing you’ll never find him working the pots and pans without? A Le Creuset spatula. Calling it the Aston Martin of spatulas, Grover has used one since he first worked in a restaurant kitchen at the now-closed Le Caprice. “I love the quality and the fact you can wash the handle and spatula separately. It’s perfect for making soft omelettes or something like a soft polenta. I have had mine for many years now. But I have the original that I used when I was 16 years old in Le Caprice safe at home!”
Le Creuset spatula set
Tom Fraser: Chef’s press
Scott's Richmond
Having first started at Scott’s in Mayfair, Tom Fraser has been at the helm of the restaurant’s Richmond outpost since 2022. Given the restaurant’s long-standing reputation for serving up the best seafood in the capital, it follows that Fraser has the inside track when it comes to perfecting your fish at home. And all it takes is a humble chef’s press: “The reason we use these so much at the restaurant is it helps cook our fish nice and evenly, as well as getting an amazing crispy skin on the fish."
Sous Chef chef’s press
Angelo Albera: Vorwerk Thermomix
When The Hari underwent a renovation late last year, it also welcomed new chef Angelo Albera to head its signature Italian Il Pampero restaurant. The seasoned chef understands the importance of well-trained staff and considers his team the real kitchen must-have. But, for those of us not lucky enough to have an army of professional chefs at our disposal, consider adding an all-in one Thermomix to your kitchen counter. “It’s super versatile and is essential for creating the smoothest of purées. I can also cook a mean polenta in it,” Albera says.
Thermomix TM6
Hrishikesh Desai: 30cm ruler and a timer
Heading Cedar Tree at Relais & Châteaux accredited Farlam Hall, a historic Cumbrian country house hotel, chef patron Hrishikesh Desai offers an elegant menu that combines Indian influences with fresh British produce. While the impressive menu surely requires an array of specialised tools, Desai’s says he would be lost without a humble 30 cm ruler and a timer. “The former helps with cutting straight to precise measurements, while the latter keeps things under check,” he says.
Jonny Lake: Vinegar
If you’re lucky enough to secure a table at two Michelin-starred restaurant Trivet in Bermondsey, you’ll be treated to a concise menu inspired by global cuisines, with highlights including drunk lobster with noodles, chicken breast with vinegar sauce and Hokkaido potato mille-feuille. Despite the array of ingredients used, for chef Jonny Lake, a non-negotiable is vinegar. A recent favourite is Japanese cacao vinegar, “It’s made from the pulp of cacao pods and at the moment I find myself adding it to everything, both savoury and sweet. It lends a very gentle, enveloping acidity to anything I add it to.” Struggling to find the cacao variety? High-quality balsamic will work just as well.
Harvey Nichols balsamic vinegar
Giovann Attard: Tomatoes
Set across three floors of a Victorian townhouse on Charlotte Street, Norma has made a splash on the capital’s culinary scene with its refined and reimagined Sicilian classics inspired by executive head chef Giovann Attard’s childhood memories. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Attard’s kitchen essential is tomatoes. “I love the fact that there are so many varieties available all year round,” he says. “Obviously summer is the peak for tomatoes and there are many summery varieties [but] the winter ones have a depth in flavour and make you reminisce summer all over again.”
Mutti peeled San Marzano tomatoes
Hywel Jones: Lantana can opener
Ever been left with a dangerously jagged can after wrestling with a subpar opener? Turns out even professional chefs struggle with that. At Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones, at Wiltshire’s country house hotel Lucknam Park, executive chef Jones swears by a Lantana safety can opener to protect his team. “It separates the lid from the can by cutting the folded metal seam (rather than the side of the can), meaning there are no sharp edges,” he says. “It’s a great piece of equipment, very durable and the best can opener we’ve ever had.”
Lantana 2-in1 safety can opener
