This month’s Featured Chef…
Steve Love
Head Chef, Cotsworld House
Steve Love is Head Chef at Cotswold House in Chipping Campden. Steve currently holds 3 AA Rosettes and has previously been named “Knorr Chef of the Year” and in 1997 won the prestigious Roux Scholarship which in turn led to Steve completing a 3 month placement with Alain Ducasse at his 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Paris.
Steve thanks for seeing me today. What made you want to be a chef all those years ago?
I don’t know. I first did work experience while I was in the 4th year at school, and just went into a local hotel in Stratford, started in the kitchen, did a couple of days and the next thing was to move into housekeeping and I didn’t fancy cleaning the toilets, so I asked if I could stay in the kitchen, I just enjoyed it so much, and I went from there to college…
Did you study at college full time?
Yeah, I did two years full time; I did a BTEC Diploma in catering, which was a managerial course. I also worked part time as well.
Ok and after college?
I got to the end of that and decided that I wanted to go into the kitchens rather than go into the managerial side of it. Then I got an apprenticeship at a local hotel in Stratford, which was the Welcome Hotel.
Your first full time job?
Yes. At that point it was owned by Orient Express, and there were 23 chefs in the kitchen, you look at it now and there are 8 chefs in the kitchen. Back then there was real quality, most of them anyway… I mean, the Head Chef was Savoy trained, Ritz trained, had been through Switzerland. The Sous Chef the same, near enough all the Chef de Parties had been through London – Claridges, The Savoy, The Ritz; all the big ones and at that point I was looking to go to London but then I thought what’s the point if I can live at home and still get the same training with these guys.
