FOOD + DRINK
MEET THE CHEF :
ELLIOT WEBSTER
The Waterfront , Hythe
What led to you becoming a chef ?
I was inspired to become a chef by my granny . She has always had a different approach to cooking , which I have admired from a young age . She ’ s a talented cook and I still enjoy her food ; in fact I should probably cook for her more often as it ’ s usually the other way around ! Alongside this , I was always a more practical child than academic so when I went to college to study cooking it came more easily to me than anything else I had studied before .
The thing that drives me now is my family . My fiancé and I share an intense enthusiasm for food and we enjoy eating out at lots of different styles of restaurants from fine dining to our local pub . I also have a teenage son who has a comparatively plain palate , but he ’ s my main motivation . My aim is to make them proud of me .
Where did you train ?
I trained at South Kent college in Folkestone , so I am a local boy . I have worked with some incredibly talented chefs over the years that have not just inspired my cooking abilities but also taught me about building and running a business . I can ’ t say I have worked for any notable chefs or in any notable kitchens , but I am grateful for all the guidance I have received from all of my mentors and employers . I believe what I may lack in what is seen as finedining experience only drives me more . I have run the kitchen that I work in for over a decade and have steered the business through changes of owners , management and multiple menus .
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