I grew up in Brighton with my parents, brother and sister. As a household, food was always a very important part of every day. We didn’t go out and eat a lot but it was important that everyone was home for dinner and we’d sit and have a family meal. I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a job when I was young, I always liked cooking at home and eating, and a job as a kitchen porter at the age of 14 was my first foray into the world of hospitality. I became a waiter and then I got a job at Wagamama making juice. 18 months later, I was running the kitchen. I worked at various gastropubs and rose through the ranks, before moving to pursue a career as a chef in London.

My first real food memory was with my dad, he used to take me to the fishmongers every weekend. We’d often buy a crab, take it home and cook it and then he’d teach me how to dress it and pick it. I also have fond memories of our family meals and I think it’s so important that we made that time [for each other].

I moved to London when I was 22 and took a position at The Stafford Hotel. I quickly realised the hotel environment wasn’t for me so I badgered Adam Byatt for a job at Trinity [Byatt’s restaurant in Clapham Old Town], where I spent nearly two years. That was the kitchen that really made me — it was proper cooking, everything was cooked in a pan. It was old school.

I then moved to Bonhams and we got a [Michelin] star in seven months. After taking some time out in Australia, I returned to take over the head chef position before a stint at the Clove Club. My next position was head chef of Portland, just before the pandemic, and then I went to Akoko [serving Michelin-starred West African cuisine in Fitzrovia].

I was offered the opportunity during Covid. It was a risk going to work at a restaurant serving a cuisine that I didn’t know, to start from scratch and learn again, as it was completely new ingredients that I hadn’t seen before and new ways of thinking. A lot of people said don’t do it but I am always happy that I did. I spent all of lockdown learning about West African food, brought in a new team and helped to develop the menu. I would like to think I helped to put the restaurant on the map.

I developed the idea for Cycene with James and Christie Brown, the owners of Blue Mountain School, where the restaurant is located. We were very lucky to meet when we did because the type of restaurant we both wanted to create aligned. The menu is influenced by food I like to eat and my travels around the world, sourcing the best ingredients and letting them shine on the plate in an elegant and precise way.

It feels unbelievable — it’s [an] ambition I’ve worked towards since I was 19 years old and a standard to hold myself to. I’ve retained stars at different restaurants in the past with the team that I’m currently working with, so you could say we’ve always been operating at that level, but to receive recognition within such a short period of time, and for a restaurant that I can call my own, is really special.

It’s difficult to pick because I like them all in different ways; they’re all a reflection of me and my style of cooking. Dishes that are becoming, what you could call, our ‘signatures’ are the turbot and oyster but every dish is unique in its own right. I’m really proud of the chocolate sabayon tart with roasted sweet potato ice cream because I spent several years developing and perfecting the recipe.

Kurisu Omakase in Brixton. It’s incredible quality sushi but in a very unique environment. Chris [Restrepo] is a raw talent and doing something really special in the heart of Brixton.

Rafael Cagali at Da Terra, which has two Michelin stars, is doing something really special. I’m yet to go but I’ve been watching the evolution of the restaurant for a while and as soon as I have the time, I’m planning to visit.

You’re never truly away from the restaurant. There is always work to be done, whether that’s sourcing new ingredients or perfecting recipes. In the limited free time I do get, I spend time with my girlfriend and head to the gym whenever I can, which clears my mind.