Picnic lunch

Picnic lunch

Candice Webber - Chef Manager at Five TV in Covent Garden

Candice Webber - Chef Manager at Five TV in Covent Garden

Describe your typical day?

I try to get to work early, between 6 and 6.30, so that I can check in all the orders and deal with any last minute issues before the rest of my team arrives.  I have to have a cup of Earl Grey tea before I can do anything in the morning, so getting the kettle on is my first job of the day.

We cater for around 100 customers at Five and produce everything from scratch (including baking our own bread) in a small, open kitchen, so organisation is key and the four of us have to work as an efficient team in order not to get in each other’s way.  We serve breakfast from 8.30, get prepped for lunch and then once lunch service is well underway I try to get my ordering done.  The rest of the afternoon is taken up with paperwork, menus, emails and other admin.  I also like to make time to call my ops director to run through ideas and give any feedback from the customers or client.  I usually finish up between 4 and 5 unless we have an evening function.

What is the best part of your job?

The customers.  Because we serve the food straight from the kitchen, we talk to our customers every day and so can get immediate feedback from them.  Like most people, our customers have very definite views on food and they will happily talk to us about their likes and dislikes.  This gives us a real edge when it comes to retaining their business as we know them so well.

And the worst part?

The washing up!

Life before H & J

I grew up in Sydney in a very foodie family and although as a kid I really wanted to play volleyball for Australia, when I realised I wasn’t going to be tall enough I turned to my other love and got a job in an Italian restaurant.  Gravitating from front of house to the kitchen, I trained on the job and worked my way up through the ranks.  In 2002 I won a scholarship which enabled me to come to London where I worked for Anton Mossiman.  Employed as Chef de Poisson in the restaurant, I also worked as a chef in his Academy and had some fantastic trips abroad helping with the international dinners that Mossiman is involved in.

I went back to Australia for some much needed sun and whilst there I was offered an opportunity by chef Steve Manfredi to help with the opening of his Darling Harbour restaurant, Coast.  This proved to be a great experience and I loved being part of a restaurant that showcased the best Australian produce, carefully sourced and simply cooked and presented.  We even bought our meat in as whole carcasses and butchered them on the premises which is one of the reasons why I have a good understanding of the different cuts of meat and how best to cook them.

So what brought you back to the UK?

I missed my friends and also felt that London still had a lot to offer me so I came back and after a few false starts found H&J.

Why H & J?

It wasn’t an easy decision to move from restaurants into contract catering and I struggled to find a company where I wouldn’t have to sacrifice my standards and ideals in order to succeed.  H&J was the only caterer to satisfy those needs.

Why still H & J?

Well it’s been 1 year and I’m still having fun, still looking forward to getting to work in the morning and I know that I’m a valued member of the team.

And the future?

In the New Year I will be opening our first public restaurant at St Paul’s Cathedral and I want to make a great success of this, not only from the customers’ point of view, but also from a produce and supplier awareness aspect.  Good, locally sourced produce treated simply will be the secret.  I really value being part of such a vibrant company as H&J and I look forward to growing with them.

What about when you’re old & grey?

I’d love to open up a restaurant that represents my ethos for unfussy dining– serving Italian style food of course!

When you’re not at work?

In my free time, I cook.  I try recipes and experiment with my ‘of the moment’ favourite produce.  When pulled away from the kitchen I run, cycle and read (obviously a cook book).  Sorry if that sounds a little obsessive, but I’m clearly in the right job!

Candice Webber - Chef Manager at Five TV in Covent Garden  < H&J Home

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