It’s almost like there
was a consequence if I
didn’t do well that was
directly affecting my
reputation and I think
that’s what made me
perform better
there was actually quite a lot. I’d say that’s
how my performance on the show related
, it was a bit edgy in the first few rounds
but then as the rounds went on I just felt
the pressure completely lifted off me and I
could just do what I wanted to do.
Jason: So a few years before that you’d
already won Young Sussex Chef?
Steve: That was in 2010, that was three
years before….
Jason: I was a Judge. Not in your
category, but I was a Judge on that award
and there was quite a bit of excitement
about even you at that time. So what was
it like doing that? I mean cos you were up
against proper peers…
Steve:
10
That was nice but again it’s a
competition, I did a lot of competitions,
obviously unsuccessful, but they were
closed door competitions, but when
you do an open door competition like
Sussex Young Chef of the Year or even
MasterChef, everyone can see your flaws.
So even with Sussex Young Chef if I didn’t
perform well then everyone knows you
haven’t made the top three or people know
that you’ve come second or third so for
me it was the first chance to really feel the
pressure.
It’s almost like there was a consequence if
I didn’t do well that was directly affecting
my reputation and I think that’s what made
me perform better and that’s almost how I
work now as I put myself under pressure to
perform, so maybe that’s why I struggled at
school because I felt there was no pressure
to do well.