The Bigger the better.

The Food Hub had the pleasure of interviewing Head Chef of The Kings Head Bessels Green Road, Sevenoaks TN13 2QA, Paul Morris. With a diverse menu and the biggest kitchen we had the pleasure of visiting i asked an array of questions in order to get the best possible story for our readers. Whether you dine in a Pub Restaurant or not, we can all appreciate good food and a well run kitchen. There are many problems that occur in a kitchen. From limited space to limited resources, all chefs are due their props during busy serving hours.

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This is all about understanding the life of a chef and life in the kitchen, whilst under a lot of stress, daily, Head Chefs have to be aware and can't drop the ball once. Here at The Food Hub we started the interview by asking how a kitchen deals with high volumes of orders and how they prepare in a timely manner especially during major events. Chef explains that "these are all extremely busy periods" he has to "ensure all foods are prepared and delivered to the best of our abilities". There are many expectations to uphold, even the customers/clients expectations are much higher at these moments "and if it was to all go wrong", "we would effectively destroy their special day." The chef also let us know that it is imperative that these moments are on point. He strives for perfection in every moment of service but Christmas day, Mothers day, Fathers Day and bank holidays are top priority.

Being a head chef and managing a kitchen is hard work. It requires effective leadership and it always helps to be a good teacher. Each meal is cooked with love and care from this head chef, he shows hard work and determination in his kitchen. This Kitchen has such a "diverse team, i try to teach at all moments". Teaching at all moments shows us that being as well as being head chef, you are looked up too, what you do in the kitchen will rub off onto all. Its clear that Paul Morris is a wonderful chef and teacher. "I always want to treat my team with the expectations that i had when i was in their positions". Creating a positive work environment and having a team enjoys learning under Paul Morris is key to the kitchen. He isn't selfish in the slightest, he loves to get his team involved in many ways for example. "I always let them have input into the menus and bring their passion and flair to the table". " I like them to feel that they have as much input to the team as possible". This is a clear sign of a very well run kitchen, as our readers i hope that you agree with me. I believe that teamwork is key in creating a positive work environment, especially in something as stressful as a kitchen. Our favourite quote from Chef from this question has got to be "All levels of chefs have different skill levels and knowledge but we make people as inclusive as possible". Here at The Food Hub we enjoyed this quote as it shows how a head chef respects his team and the chefs around him.

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Delegation is important as a head chef, we wanted to ask him, how you assign roles and responsibilities among your team to ensure each member feels valued and engaged in their work? This is an important question that i wanted the Chef to answer in lots of detail. His kitchen operates with "several dedicated sections". Each entrusted to the capable hands of a team member. They have embraced a system where every individual is "responsible for the cleanliness and hygiene practices within their designated section". Not only does this keep the team humble, it ensures that each area maintains the highest of standards, which is imperative in a kitchen. In the Culinary field, the chefs are like a family. Keeping everyone close and happy as a team is very important as a head chef, its clear that this kitchen is run very well. "Recognising that everyone operates differently, we've found allowing flexibility in these routines contributes to a more positive and efficient work environment"

We spoke to Mr Morris about continuous improvement, its important to stay current with certain culinary trends, ingredients and cooking techniques. Although these restaurants' menus aren't the same as World famous restaurants and a few majorly expensive dining experiences. Chef's are very talented individuals, they are able to cook amazing food for all to enjoy and this is why i think that they can stay current. He states, "Its not very different from fashion, in the sense, that new trends and techniques arise". Our chef uses recipe books and cookery programmes to help stay current, "you never stop learning". Humbleness is a great trait to have in the culinary world. "lights a fire, gets the grey matter working". It shows to be rewarding when doing this, the more you keep trying and tweaking recipes you will soon have your very own dish "inspired by something you've seen but made on your own". Here at The Food Hub we love to share the rewarding feeling with our readers with recipes and culinary tips to help those eager to learn.

Its not all rainbows and sunshine within a kitchen though, we've all seen how angry Gordon Ramsay gets! There is a lot of stress when running a kitchen, things can go wrong, accidents happen, things get broken and people can get hurt. We wanted to know how Mr Morris would resolve a problem if one were to arise. Burning yourself, dropping a dish or getting the dish out again ASAP can make the chef "return to their shell a little bit", nerves can get the best of people but Mr Morris would "take the lead". Teamwork is the best way to get out of this situation, he tells his team "there is a proper way to do things" or there is "the cowboy way" which is getting the same result in a shorter time frame. But as long as you know the proper way, if you know a faster resolution to the problem (cowboy way) it is a great and helpful tool to have.When Equipment breaks down, in some cases you are "almost controlling your kitchen team and front house team at the same time", Pass lights could be going down, meaning how are you going plate and keep the dishes hot? "The team needs to come together" and make sure they are "aware and in the zone, focusing." Being alert can help the team send out dishes to the tables with the correct temperatures and made flawlessly.