Eate's Top 5 Underappreciated Chefs

Photo by Yente Van Eynde from Pexels

For the vast majority of us the culinary industry remains somewhat of an enigma. Of course, we all believe that we understand the food that comes to our table; it’s flavours, textures, and pairings for example. Yet, what fewer of us claim to understand are the lives of those who have committed themselves wholeheartedly to this industry. The prepping, scrubbing, rushing, burning, shouting, adrenaline pumping hours, which for these few, have become so routine are to the unindoctrinated, quite incomprehensible.

A lack of understanding does not always breed ignorance. Nor however, does it encourage appreciation. Thus, the lives spent in windowless kitchens are often lives spent in anonymity. Whilst the dishes created in these spaces are often subjects of overzealous photoshoots, the artisan who created them remains unseen. Of course, there are the few who have defied convention and made the fraught transition from kitchen to screen. The celebrity chef no longer has to toil in the back, their work now takes centre stage. Yet, it is a choice few who reach this pinnacle, and there are many, extremely talented chefs who desire nothing less than the convoluted challenges fame brings.  

Perhaps a happy medium is the answer. Artists who are appreciated for their work without reaching the cult status of ‘celebrity’. Unfortunately, there are too many chefs deserving of recognition to fit in even the largest of books. Yet, the enormity of the challenge is no reason to not begin, and we will do so with the smallest, but no less meaningful of steps, a list of five chefs that I believe deserve a little more time in the spotlight’s warming glow.

Rafael Cagali

Born in São Paulo to Italian parents, Rafael’s culinary journey began, as many great things do, by coincidence. Unsure of what to pursue in life he began studying economics at university in his home city. However, the liquidation of his family’s business, which occurred when Rafael was 20, inspired him to move to London in order to learn English, and thus find a career that would quickly support him and his family. As with many students, Rafael struggled to make ends meet, and began working part-time in kitchens to fund his studies. Soon he had, quite coincidentally, unearthed the passion he had been searching his whole life for. What followed was - a now customary - whirlwind of activity. A course in hospitality and catering at Westminster College was swiftly followed by an impressive array of work experience placements across London, including Daphne’s in Chelsea. With his appetite for Italian cuisine well and truly wetted, Rafael began exploring his own Italian heritage, namely via a move to live with his grandfather in Verona. 

A position at the Grand Hotel Villa Feltrinelli on the shores of Lake Garda followed where Rafael worked under Chef Stefano Baiocco for three years. Soon Rafael swapped Spain for Italy and relocated to Denia, where Rafael had the opportunity to work under the celebrated Spanish chef, Quique Dacosta, at his three-star flagship restaurant. The experimental nature of Rafael’s working environments was to be continued as he first interned and then became chef de Partie at Heston Blumenthal’s mercurial restaurant The Fat Duck. This two-year stint not only concreted Rafael’s love of surprising his guests with experimental gastronomy but also provided him with the experience necessary to lead creative processes himself. Rafael wasted no time putting this experience to use, joining Simon Rogan and his team for the opening of Fera at Claridge’s where he assumed responsibility for the development kitchen, Aulis. 

This was to be Rafael’s last role before starting his own venture; La Terra which received its second Michelin star in 2020. Translated as ‘From the ground’ La Terra reflects both Rafael’s unique heritage and also his varied professional experience. Latin American and Mediterranean blend seamlessly in a restaurant where attention to detail is of paramount importance. Rafael’s creative flair is evident in every dish, with unique combinations being pulled off in exemplary style. 

It is a rare joy to see a chef’s professional process so clearly reflected in the dishes he serves, yet all of Rafael’s roots, experiences, and mentors are clearly referenced throughout the nine-course tasting menu, with dishes such as Zapaca Rum ice cream, caviar and avocado paying perfectly balanced, simultaneous homage to Rafael’s life thus far. 

Instagram: @rafacagali

Michelle Trusselle

It is a sad fact that Black women are statistically the most underrepresented demographic both within restaurants and food media. Michelle Trusselle, who graduated from Westminster Culinary Arts College, believes that a lack of Black role models is to blame. She herself is paving the way for underrepresented aspiring chefs, as proven by her eclectic résumé which includes being part of Bruce Poole’s team at La Trompette when they were awarded their Michelin star and reaching the semi-finals of MasterChef: The Professional’s 2018. More recently Michelle has launched a monthly Supper Club, Myristica, named for a type of tree found in Grenada that produces both nutmeg and mace. At Myristica, Michelle draws on her Caribbean heritage, creating dishes that are rooted in those flavours and traditions whilst simultaneously celebrating the seasonal ingredients that England has to offer. 

Undeniably, with Michelle’s continued success has come status, and she has taken it upon herself to use her voice as a tool to tackle not only the deeply rooted racial issues that are prevalent in the culinary industry, but also the gendered bias, which continues to influence her own career even at this prominent stage. As a mother Michelle has a unique perspective on the demands placed on chefs, such as 60+ hour working weeks, and how those who are unwilling or unable to commit to these crazy working schedules are often forced out of the environment they love so much, as she states below.

"Needing flexibility shouldn't create connotations that you’re not as good or as capable. We still love the restaurant environment, the adrenaline buzz we get from doing a service, from seeing the hard work fulfilled in happy diners. But generally speaking, we can't do that same kind of food, because there isn't that understanding for the need of flexibility".

Fortunately for Michelle, as her own boss, she can continue to nurture both her family and her own sense of fulfilment. However, there are many female chefs who, at a certain stage of their lives, are faced with an impossible choice; have a career or have a family. Michelle - who by her own admittance has had to constantly guide others through an educational process which tackles their perceptions and stereotypes of who professional chefs are (i.e. not always plump, moustached, White men in tall hats) - believes that as a Black woman it is her duty to push forward in her chosen field, in order to ensure that Black girls everywhere will have an opportunity to be recognised in the workplace for their skills, not their gender or ethnicity.

‘We don’t want our young black daughters to be slowed down when they are on the way to the top. We don’t want our young black daughters to be behind closed doors. We want them to be seen and be heard. We can do it ourselves; we can represent ourselves and we can push to be recognised as the women in business that we are’.

Instagram: @chefmichelletrusselle

Ivan Tisdall-Downes 

The fact that Ivan is a completely self-taught chef, who has established himself in the cutthroat world of London’s restaurant scene is cause for celebration enough. To do so whilst championing alternative British produce is quite simply astounding. Yet, once you begin to learn about the man you realise that whilst incredible, these achievements are not surprising.   

Born in London, Ivan did not turn to cooking as a creative outlet until he was a young adult studying at The University of Brighton. It was during this time, whilst he was devouring all the cooking related content YouTube could throw at him, that he met Imogen Davis. Imogen, who herself had a rural upbringing, introduced Ivan to the wonders of foraged, wild British produce which was to become the main feature of their work together. Initially, this work began on the street, with the selling of preserves. Rapid success, and Ivan’s growing cooking skills allowed them to begin cooking at food market stalls and pop-up events, where again, relatively unknown indigenous British food was plated up in a comforting and recognisable dish. Here would be where many a self-taught chef would stall, trapped in the cyclical pattern of market after market, with no opportunity to further develop their craft. Ivan however, sprung forward once again, securing a stage at the famed River Cottage in Devon, concreting his passion for local, seasonal produce. A further stage at Dan Barber’s Michelin starred Blue Hill farm at Stone Barns soon followed, comprehensively answering any questions regarding the pedigree of both Ivan’s cooking ability, and his love for sustainable, seasonal cooking. 

On his return to the UK Ivan and Imogen launched their restaurant, Native in 2016. Whilst the location has changed over the years (from Neal’s Yard to Borough Market, and now in the flagship Brown’s store in central Mayfair), Ivan’s love for cooking with British ingredients has not. When season allows for it you can expect to be served Native’s signature dish of Wood Pigeon kebab, an accessible introduction to a piece of game rarely eaten in the modern day. Another example of sustainable, innovative meat dishes is Ivan’s famed Grey Squirrel Ragu which is often served with a celeriac lasagne, a dish which has caught national headlines and favourable reviews from critics alike. 

What woos in restaurants does not always translate well to the home kitchen, a fact many a dinner party guest’s plate could attest to. Yet Ivan hopes alternative British meats could hit the mainstream. Whether this comes to pass remains to be seen, but what is for certain is that any customer to Native will have any prejudice held against wild British produce resolutely shattered by his flavourful, authentic, and ingenious cooking. 

Instagram: @ivanjd

Wizzy Chung

It’s cold and grey. The relentless drizzle has soaked your clothes to such a degree that you may as well have jumped into the bath on the way out of the house. You push your sopping wet hair to one side and squint at your phone. The map is distorted by the droplets of water which cling to its surface like so many boils. It should be right here… unimposing storefronts blend seamlessly into one another until they resemble one grey rectangle. It’s hard to believe that what you’re searching for is right before you. Just as you begin to doubt the validity of your phone’s mapping system, you see the words written above the door, peering out of the gloom ‘Sky Kong Kong’.

To say the unconventional nature of Wizzy Chung’s brilliant restaurant is a reflection of her personality would be to hit the proverbial nail on the head. Within this small unit, two tables worth of guests can expect to be served inspired, organic food that does not lack in substance or style. This would come as no surprise to anyone when they learn of Wizzy’s culinary pedigree which includes training at the prestigious Nobu. However, aside from the quality of the food Sky Kong Kong bears little resemblance to Nobu, or many other famous culinary establishments. For one the menu at Sky Kong Kong is reasonable to the point of incredulity; you would need to add a handful of zeros onto the end of the bill to eat as well in more famed destinations. Equally the ambience is playful, intimate, and thoroughly relaxing. Wizzy, it would seem has wholeheartedly turned her back on the pomp, show, and exclusivity which forms a large part of haute cuisines identity, preferring instead to cater for her local community. Wizzy wields the flexibility this allows her with mastery; three dinner time seating’s Tuesday – Saturday give her a work life balance to be envied by most professional chefs. Furthermore, guests are given no menu options, rather they are served seasonal, local ingredients, many of which are grown on Wizzy’s own allotment. 

But perhaps more impressive than the nature and quality of service that Wizzy has created at Sky Kong Kong is her constant attempts to use food to empower her local community whenever she can. Recently, this has taken the form of offering twenty £1 lunches on a first-come-first-serve basis to celebrate the end of lockdown and galvanise those in her community who had struggled both emotionally and financially. Using food to create a supportive network for those in her community seems to have remained at the forefront of Wizzy’s mind; she has unveiled a prospective plan to launch a community supermarket as a non-profit enterprise, which would aim to be stocked with seasonal, high-quality produce from the local area, at affordable prices. This is Wizzy’s push back against conventional supermarkets, which our overreliance on is unsustainable, both in terms of the environment and individual health. In order to fund this social enterprise, Wizzy is self-publishing a cookbook which will include inventive recipes from 13 different countries in the hope that others can find joy, and support in food. As Wizzy herself says ‘Good food is very simple… All you need are local, seasonal ingredients with good spices, a bit of artistic imagination, and friends or family to eat well and laugh with. Then you can cook beautifully’.

Instagram: sky_kong_kong

Alex Head

It is not uncommon for those who find success in the culinary industry to have done so after turning their back on the traditional educational system, built as it is upon academic theorem instead of practical skills. From Bourdain to Sellers the legend of rebellious youth turned culinary superstar is a large part of cooking’s illustrious history, and Alex Head is undoubtedly writing the next chapter. 

Expelled from school at the age of 15 for the unbelievably premonitory crime of starting a food fight, Alex began selling homemade lunches to her father’s colleagues in Riyadh. After moving to the UK, Alex decided to build on her young culinary background by studying at Ballymaloe Cookery School, before going on to gain experience in many professional kitchens, including a two-month stint at Bibendum restaurant in London. However, when the pizzeria she was working in closed Alex found herself jobless, with only £350 in her pocket. Faced with a multitude of dilemmas, Alex did the near unthinkable, and borrowed a friend’s laptop to launch her own catering company. Running Social Pantry was, she admits, a momentous struggle in those early years. However, her ability and determination soon bore fruit, catapulting the London based company forward and leading them to cater for international celebrities and intimate private events alike. However, this astounding success from such humble beginnings is not what is most remarkable about Alex’s business. it is her mission to use food to uplift those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the judicial system, that should be most celebrated. Aside from personally mentoring young men and women who have recently been released from prison, 10% of Social Pantry’s total workforce are ex-offenders. Furthermore, In 2017 and 2018 Alex took her support towards Key4Life, the main charity she is associated with, one step further and hosted several Social Supper clubs where five leading London chefs paired up with five young ex-offenders to raise money for the charity and helping to secure employment for other ex-offenders in restaurants around London. 

Alex also supports other charities, organisations, and businesses which focus on helping ex-offenders find employment in the culinary sector whilst simultaneously reducing the rates of reoffending. From stocking Redemption Roasters Coffee to partnering with Switch Back, Alex’s commitment to this cause is all encompassing. Yet, despite the many challenges which face those employing ex-offenders, Alex is sure that the positives continue to benefit herself, her company, and her workforce all to the greatest degree. 

Instagram: alexhead_sp and social_pantry

Jacob Smith

Jacob is a writer whose focus centres on the ever-evolving relationship between peoples. He has a long-held affinity for food and cooking, a fact chiefly attributable to his mother, Liz. Outside of writing, Jacob is the Social media and Communications Officer for Incomindios UK, the British branch of a Swiss-based indigenous rights organisation and is  currently concluding his MA Conflict, Security & Development at the University of Exeter.