I think from my point of view, as a viewer, I think it’s the best programme for Chefs to watch.
Yes.
And there are people like you on there, Nathan (Outlaw), Alan Murchison – some great names. No disrespect to Ready Steady Cook and things like that, but it is driven at a different market.
I had a great time because I was myself. If I had tried to act a certain way it would have come across as contrived and I would have felt (and looked) uncomfortable. And getting through to the final was ultimately the goal. The Duck Egg is something that we still have on the menu now and we probably sell 70 or 80 a week. 
Have sales for that dish increased since The Great British Menu?
We get people travelling from all over the country to come and try that dish.
Really? Fantastic.
I put it on the menu, originally, as part of the Tasting Menu. My wife, ever the business woman said “Sat what the f*** do you think you are doing? People are coming here to eat that – charge for it.” So we now charge £15 for an extra course and we sell 70/80 a week. So there you go, business dictates.
Yes.
We took a massive hit of people coming to try us out – people are sitting in their living room and they see you on TV and they make a judgement as to whether they like you or not, probably within the first 10 minutes of seeing you. So as a follow on from the TV programme, we only got people travelling to us who actually liked what they saw; the others stayed at home. Television is the most powerful tool but you have got to make sure you get it right.
Yes.
So you can’t bastardise yourself and that is why The Great British Menu is great for showing off Chefs that are unknown; it puts them on the radar and it puts customers on their seats. You can’t knock it.
A little bit about Sat Bains Restaurant. What is the concept of the food here? On the menu it’s clearly marked: Taste Texture Temperature. Tell us about your philosophy behind that.
I like texture, the Sweetcorn dish for example …
I tried that.
Did you like it?
Yes.
But the whole dish has three elements to it: roast sweetcorn; popcorn power and popcorn sweetcorn ice cream and sweetcorn soup. So you have the temperature, taste and texture. So when you eat it your whole palate is given a “working over”. But it makes so much sense because that is just one ingredient and you are showcasing all it’s elements. And that is what true chefing is all about for me. For me, that is what the driving force is. I have always been interested in creativity; I don’t want to do what somebody else has done. I have always wanted to give something that is quite unique but not just for the sake of it. I do it so that I can do some research; I don’t want to be a lazy chef.
