May We Proudly Introduce Our New Head Chef...

Chris Hooton - Cooking for the Stars!

When our head chef, Chris Hooton, tells you he's passionate about food, you'd better believe it.

Our Nottingham born top chef has cooked for some of the worlds most famous celebrities, from former US President Bill Clinton and Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin to stars like Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, John Travolta and Richard Gere.

"My career as a chef has taken me around the world three times. I've worked in some wonderful places, from Australia, Canada and the States to France, Denmark and Switzerland," says Chris

"In Vancouver, known as North Hollywood because of its huge film industry, I cooked for lots of movie stars. I've worked with some brilliant people and earned some excellent money in my career."

Chris (40) says he would definitely recommend catering and hospitality to young people as a career.

"But you have to be dedicated. Food has always been a passion with me. You don't walk around the market in Paris at three o'clock in the morning as I have done, looking for new and exciting ingredients, unless you are totally passionate about your job!"

"I would like to see catering students learn more in-depth theory as I did, front of house staff as well as trainee chefs. I was taught about French classic cooking and would like to see it taught more widely today because it's fundamental to the basics of alternative types of cuisine.

If Chris seems totally immersed in the world of food, it's because his father, Dave Hooton, was a well respected head chef in the city back in the days of 'The Black Boy and the Victoria Hotel' 40 years ago.
"All my Life I've been around those kind of people, right from the age of eight or nine I helped my dad prepare buffets for private functions like weddings, and I baked cakes and bread with mum in the kitchen at home. It just seemed natural for me to go into the industry as well"
Chris says that his wife, Sharon, is a great cook - something which he partly takes the credit for! "I've taught her to be more imaginative with her cooking. It's all about having the confidence to use different ingredients."

After leaving school - Arnold Hill Comprehensive, then George Spencer at Stapleford - Chris did a two year City & Guilds catering course at West Notts College, Mansfield, where he received an excellent grounding in classic French cookery. From there he went to the White Post at Farnsfield to do a three-year apprenticeship, acquiring superb butchery skills and great experience of cooking with game. By 1987 Chris was off to Australia, where he worked in Lennon's Hotel in Brisbane. It was the biggest hotel in Brisbane and the restaurant was on the 145th floor. The hotel was very much geared to Japanese tourists.

On his return to Britain, Chris got a job at the Victoria Hotel in Nottingham. I worked for a year in the kitchen where my dad used to be, he recalls. Then he moved to Ben Bowers as Sous Chef, before landing his first head chef's job at the French Horn at Upton.

From 1991-96, he was at Sonny's in Nottingham at the time when modern British cuisine, very fresh and simple, was bursting onto the scene.

In 1996 he emigrated to Canada, working at 'Seasons in the Park' restaurant in Vancouver, "Because of its huge film industry, they call Vancouver 'North Hollywood'. That's why I found myself cooking for celebrities like Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta, as well as for Bill Clinton and Boris Yetsin," Chris explains.

Later he moved to Vancouver Island, where he was head chef at the Wesley Street Cafe, specialising in contemporary West Coast food, it was very organic-based, with lots of fresh wild salmon and wild halibut and organic meats like caribou or Arctic Elk. Celebrity diners I cooked for there included Dennis Waterman, Rula Lenska and jazz singer Diana Krall, Chris recalls.

On his return to Nottingham in 2001. Chris became head chef at the Martin's Arms in Colston Bassett, before becoming involved with the Saltwater restaurant project in Nottingham 2002, and then launching Cast restaurant in 2004.

In 2005 as a Chef Consultant, Chris help set up a number of other projects across the UK before settling two miles from Gunthorpe.

In August 2006, Chris joined Tom Browns...