After beginning his career in the restaurant industry at the age of 14, Tom Cook’s life has offered him many chance encounters.
From working with Gary Rhodes to Michel Roux Jr, Tom Cook is now Head Chef at La Pont de la Tour. Here, Tom has created a menu that offers light, modern twists on many of the classic dishes, which he hopes will bring Le Pont de la Tour right up to date whilst also giving a nod to the restaurant’s heritage.
You have worked in the restaurant industry since a very young age, what was it that sparked your interest and passion for food?
Working in the that first kitchen seeing all the fresh produce come in and turned into dishes really caught my attention, the senior chefs showed and let me taste lots of things I’d never seen or heard of before.
It could be said that your career has been sprinkled with chance encounters (as well as hard work!). Would you say one needs both elements of luck and talent in order to achieve success in the food industry?
Absolutely, I think hard work would be first, then the rest will follow. Luck always helps of course or was it fate!
Your career has taken you all over the world, which destination has been your favourite so far, and why?
I’ve loved it all but if you really pushed me I’d have to say Sydney, Sun, sea, great food and English speaking.
When developing a new dish, where do you gather your inspiration from?
Eating out at other restaurants, but not necessarily always high-end places can spark an idea or flavour combination. And really follow the seasonal products.
With your training in classical French food, what would you say is your favourite aspect of French food?
My favourite has to be the pastry side – it’s truly amazing what they came up with all those years ago, a real art form.
Do you think it’s important to add a modern twist to classic dishes? As demonstrated at Le Pont de la Tour.
Not always. We still have some dishes as they should be prepared, but some dishes need lightening up. Which is where we can get creative – in trying to do this but still capturing the flavour of what it should be.
What’s your favourite food? Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Meat would be veal sweetbreads, fish is scallops and vegetable is morel mushroom. White chocolate would be my guilty pleasure – I love it but it’s not really chocolate.
Working in a restaurant entails a very busy, hectic lifestyle – what to do you do to unwind?
Nowadays even more hectic at home with my first son Ronnie being born, so coming to work is how I relax.
Any tips for those wanting to try out cooking French food at home?
Get yourself one of the many cookbooks that are around nowadays and start cooking your way through it, you will have some failures but also many great meals
What’s next for you? Do you have any exciting projects you can share with us in the pipeline?
Summer here at Pont is always exciting when we open the terraces, one of the best spots in London.
Which are some of your favourite restaurants around London?
I’ve always loved the Ledbury, Bar Boulud, Le Gavroche and The Square. Now, I’m really loving places like Ceviche, Lima and Coya.
In a few sentences, can you tell our readers what an average day is like?
Getting up with Ronnie at around 6am, then off to work for 8am. I make sure the team knows everything happening for the day. Checking quality of the products coming in the door, helping prep the day’s fish and meat. Lunch service then starts at noon. Afternoons are for ordering and working on new dishes/menus and at 6pm dinner service kicks off for one hundred or more people. After that, I clean down, turn everything off and get home for a glass of wine with my girlfriend.
As a chef you spend hours in the kitchen, do you still get pleasure cooking at home or would you prefer to go out to dinner?
Sure, I love cooking at home as well, but it’s nice to go out every now and again.
Do you have a motto in life?
When nothing goes right…..go left!