From mobile phones to tasteless tomatoes, chefs reveal their pet peeves.

Running a kitchen is a tough gig, with tight margins, tighter tippers and a vocal army of would-be critics providing a sharp counter-balance to any chef’s creative vision. Add in unsociable hours, subterranean kitchens and substandard suppliers and you start to wonder why anyone would choose to put themselves through it.

The UK is blessed with a buoyant dining scene spearheaded by some of the world’s most creative minds, whose menus (and masochism) are truly worthy of celebration. Here, five of the UK’s most talented cooks let off steam and share their pet peeves.

Mr Dhruv Mittal, DUM Biryani House

Mr Dhruv Mittal is no stranger to high-performance kitchens, having learnt his trade at The Fat Duck and Sat Bains. His own venture, DUM Biryani House, boasts some of London’s best Hyderabadi food and Mr Mittal hopes that his customers are present for the experience. “A real bugbear for me is mobile phones on dining tables,” he says. “They not only take up space, but are a constant reminder that this generation is so dependent on digital devices. Nowadays, the majority of diners feel the need to photograph their food before even properly smelling it, appreciating its presentation and the work that gone into the dish.”

_**[dumlondon.com

](https://dumlondon.com/)**_

Mr Ramael Scully, Scully St James’s

Don’t expect to find too many globe artichokes on the menu at Scully in Mayfair. Former head chef at Nopi, Mr Ramael Scully launched his debut solo venture earlier this year and his blend of culinary traditions and love of unusual flavours are visible on arrival, with a global array of pickles, preserves, cured egg yolks and spices displayed on shelves. Mr Scully claims that few ingredients infuriate him as much as artichokes. “I love eating them, but when we’re doing large amounts in the restaurant, they are so annoying to clean and prepare when you’re doing a 100 a day,” he says. “The same with courgette flowers. I hate stuffing them. With my big fingers it takes so much time.”

[_**scullyrestaurant.com

**_](http://www.scullyrestaurant.com/)

Mr Tommy Banks, The Black Swan

Mr Tommy Banks (seen here in The Journal) made a name for himself in 2014 when he became the youngest chef to be awarded a Michelin star for his foraged, farmed and finessed food at The Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire, which, according to TripAdvisor, was the world’s best restaurant in 2017. According to Mr Banks, there’s one restaurant trend that’s now past its sell-by date. “In quite a few fine-dining restaurants I’ve noticed they all seem to be doing this whipped butter, which is never as delicious as just normal butter,” he says. “I want butter to be rich, creamy and thick, not light and airy and thinned out. I hope that trend dies in 2019.”

[_**blackswanoldstead.co.uk

**_](https://www.blackswanoldstead.co.uk/)

Mr Josh Katz, Berber & Q

After putting a contemporary spin on the charcoal grill with the launch of Ottoman-inspired Berber & Q, and revolutionising the humble cauliflower steak in the process, Mr Josh Katz, who also oversees a shawarma bar, is particular about an element of restaurant design that can completely kill a venue’s vibe. “My pet peeve is bright lights in a restaurant,” he says. “I find it totally detracts from the ambience and makes me feel like I’m eating at the dentist’s. I’m all in favour of dimly lit dining rooms. They feel so much more intimate and atmospheric.”

[_**berberandq.com

**_](http://www.berberandq.com/)

Mr Diego Cardoso, Harry’s Dolce Vita

For Mr Diego Cardoso, chef-director at Harry’s Dolce Vita and the soon-to-launch Harry’s Bar, a casual Italian diner in St Christopher’s Place, London, finding good-quality produce at peak ripeness is what underpins his menus, but some goods are harder to find than others. “One of my all-time favourite ingredients is tomatoes, but there are so many bad tomatoes in the UK,” he says. “People look for perfect tomatoes based on their appearance and they forget to look for flavour. It’s normally the uglier looking ones, which are really heavy, that have a super intense flavour and are most delicious.”

[_**harrysdolcevita.com

**_](https://www.harrysdolcevita.com/)