I never set out to be a chef. At 13, I picked up a guitar and spent my teens playing in bands, certain my future would be in music. By 20, I’d moved into DJing house music, which meant I needed a day job to fund an ever-growing record collection. I ended up working in a local pizza restaurant and, a few years later, was running one of Kent’s best kitchens. But food – and fire – had been part of my life long before that…

There are far too many to pinpoint just one – food has always been central in my family. My maternal grandparents introduced me to jellied eels, offal and black pudding; my paternal grandparents to proper pie and mash. I didn’t appreciate my parents’ cooking at the time – there was far too much pasta for my liking – but I’ll never forget eating my first oyster with my dad when I was eight or nine.

I came into kitchens in the early 2000s, working my way up the hard way rather than through culinary school. I trained on the job under some brilliant chefs, absorbing everything I could. That old-school, sink-or-swim environment gave me the resilience and creativity that still drives me today. My first roles were in pizza restaurants, but it was at The Swan in West Malling that I really found my footing – learning everything from butchery to running high-profile events, and realising just how much the craft had to offer.

Not entirely. Fire had already played a big part in my cooking throughout my career – from pizza ovens in my earliest kitchens to the hearth at St Leonards – so by the time we set up Acme I already felt like a veteran of fire cooking. What made Acme different was that it was more intentional. We didn’t have the money to build a traditional kitchen, but we did have grills, so fire naturally became the centre of everything.

Live-fire cooking has long fascinated chefs, but we wanted to move away from the ‘dude food’ barbecue stereotype and show how versatile it could be. For us, fire isn’t just for meat – it’s a primal way of cooking. Vegetables are treated with the same respect as proteins, cooked in and around the fire, each ingredient taking on its own unique flavour and texture.

Acme started as a pandemic project – a series of outdoor pop-ups in a London Fields car park. Bored of being locked down and wanting to light some fires, we pulled some grills and barbecues out of storage and cooked for the neighbourhood. The response was overwhelming. People loved the energy, the drinks, and the cooking.

When the opportunity arose to team up with 40FT Brewery in Dalston, it felt like the natural next step. We built a permanent space that still carries the raw, open-air spirit of those early pop-ups.

Everything is ingredient-led. Seasonality comes first, along with close relationships with farmers and producers, and a zero-waste mindset. The menus are shaped by what’s at its best and by how we can use every part of an ingredient – whether it’s meat, fish, or vegetable. Much of my inspiration comes from travel and a love of spices, but the end result always feels distinctly ‘Acme’. The dishes are grounded, cohesive, and often anchored by a classic reference point, even if the execution is unexpected.

If we’re going to eat meat responsibly, we need to respect the whole animal. Nose-to-tail isn’t a trend, it’s a necessity – both environmentally and ethically. Using secondary cuts, offal, and by-products means less waste and deeper flavour, and it also helps re-educate diners that good food isn’t just about prime fillets and steaks.

Because vegetables are incredible over fire – they take on new life, new character. From the start, we didn’t want Acme to be pigeonholed as a ‘meat restaurant’. Fire has this magical ability to transform a carrot or a beetroot into something completely unexpected. Making vegetables central to the menu was about creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity – ensuring everyone at the table can share in the experience.

I’ve lived and worked in Dalston for more than 13 years, and the food scene here has a real mix of energy – from Turkish ocakbasi institutions to new-wave wine bars. It’s diverse, loud, and full of personality. I probably eat out in Dalston more than I cook at home, and I love places like House of Momos, Samarkand, Mersin Tantuni, Şömine, Mangal 1 & 2, and Oren.

There are so many talented chefs in London right now. Kirk Haworth, James Knappett and my old business partner Jackson Boxer to name a few. What impresses me most is when someone has a clear voice, a sense of identity on the plate, and doesn’t just follow trends.

It has to be our coal-roast leeks with pistachio romesco. It’s inspired by the idea of doing our own take on calçots con salsa romesco – but with pistachios, to create a striking monochrome dish. For me, it’s a must-order.