][1]Graeme Pallister is the chef owner at 63 Tay Street in Perth as well as being the executive chef at the city’s Parklands Hotel. He recently won the Chef of the Year award from Catering in Scotland, the latest of many accolades which the 36-year-old has been given.
When not running his kitchens, Graeme has been involved in teaching primary school children about food provenance and how to cook from scratch – a result of his membership of the Slow Food Alliance. He also has his own blog, Local, Honest, Simple, which is a gem.
Graeme’s CV includes stints at Kinloch House, Longueville Manor in Jersey, The Angel in Sussex, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Gleneagles, and Perth’s Let’s Eat where he was head chef for two years.
During the rare moments when he isn’t cooking, organising or educating, Graeme is a fan of running and mountain climbing. Duracell are said to be investigating how he does it.
He talks to the 5pm blog about local produce, his cousin’s godmother’s mother and fudge.
What got you into cooking to begin with?
I’ve always had a feeling that my life would be in a kitchen. At a very young age, I was in a hotel kitchen and I remember getting a very strange but strong feeling that I belonged there. Most of my family have been in or around the service industry so there is something in the blood.
What was your first catering job?
I started at about 15 years old. I lied to an Indian restaurant in Coupar Angus to get in the kitchen. It was magical – making spices and sauces from bags of onions and ginger and garlic. I loved it.
Can you describe your style of food?
We use as much Scottish produce as we can and that guides the menus. Everything is seasonal – it’s not a hard thing to do. It’s a real passion of mine to get people to look at seasonality and use the ingredients around you. If you follow the seasons then the food you get from that is always clean.
I also care a lot about every ingredient. The producers I use are almost friends now and I know the work they put into their products. So, when I see any ingredient in either of the two kitchens being misused or mishandled, I get so annoyed.
I guess my food is simple with a little bit of modern Scottish – old dishes but with an occasional touch of me in there.
][11]Do you think that people’s attitude to food is really changing?
The last ten years have seen a complete food revolution, especially in Scotland. Producers and farmers are cleaning their wellies and going out to meet chefs and the public and really singing about what they are doing. It’s brilliant to see it in Scotland.
Scotland seems to work well as a network of producers, chefs, markets and customers. The chefs all seem to get along and you see farmers and producers at chefs’ awards nights now – it’s just brilliant. Social networking has helped gel all that together. There is such a buzz about it now.
][12]What is your favourite ingredient to work with?
Spring time is amazing, especially as winter can seem to drag on a bit. Winter is very exciting for a while but it can go on and on. Then the wild garlic comes in and you think ‘Here we go’. Suddenly asparagus is here and then we are in full flow with our first punnet of strawberries coming through the door.
What do you like to eat on a night off?
I’ve always done a lot of running but recently I’ve taken on the Kindrochit Quadrathlon. I’ve been training for that for about nine months so there’s a lot of pasta.
Which chef has inspired you?
My first real moment of inspiration was my cousin’s godmother’s mother (!!!). She was Pakistani and I remember her cooking a simple meal of fish. She rummaged around in my gran’s store cupboard, found some old spices and produced something that I had never come across before.
It was just fish, rice and one vegetable and it blew me away. I thought ‘How did you do that?’ I wanted to learn how she made something that looked so simple but tasted so wonderful. That was a real road to Damascus moment for me.
Is there anything you couldn’t eat?
Fudge. I serve it occasionally but that’s it. I just don’t get fudge.
What gadget/utensil can’t you work without?
I wouldn’t call him a gadget but my Germanic Polish kitchen porter is invaluable. He is one of the most important cogs in my engine. You have to look after your KP. They have the most thankless task but I thank him the most.
Apart from your own establishment, where do you like to eat out?
I have a huge list of places to get to but we just don’t have time at the moment. I’ve been trying to get to Andrew Fairlie’s for about ten years. The last meal I had out was at Gordon’s Restaurant up in Inverkeilor. My friend Garry is the chef there. It was fantastic.
Can you eat out without trying to analyse a dish?
No, it’s always work. I will always be a cook and a chef. I’m not sure I have much else to offer the world. I think there is something of the Viking about me in that when I turn up my toes they will carry me out on my scarred old chopping board and throw me into the Tay. That would be very nice.
][15]What is the best thing about being a chef?
The arrival of new ingredients every day. Every day means you can learn something new, meet someone new plus the support network of friends and producers. Being part of that is very humbling.
And the worst?
There are lots of people joining the industry who think they have to focus on the stars and awards. The big prize, for me, is not necessarily money or lots of awards. It’s doing something you love and doing it to the best of your ability and that’s how you are rewarded. Young chefs seem to feel that if they aren’t getting into the top name kitchens or winning stars then they are failing and that is not the case.
What’s been your worst kitchen disaster?
There was a night in a country house hotel where both the gas and electricity failed at once. There had been nights before where the electricity had gone out and we had cooked by candlelight and one stove. When both went there isn’t much you can do except laugh.
You’re cooking a special meal for your wife. What’s cooking?
We are both so busy… We would probably try and get out for a meal but if we had the free time then just a bottle of wine and a pizza or something would be wonderful. That would be wonderful. We would probably have a glass of wine and fall asleep.
Tell us your daftest customer complaint?
We did have a customer who wanted a Caesar salad without any cheese or anchovies – essentially just a boiled egg with salad – then she complained that it was boring.