Behind the scenes at Adnams is a passionate team, that brings everything together. We are excited to introduce George Haslam, Roaming Head Chef. We spoke to George and learnt about the inspiration behind his decision to become a chef, and his impressive career, which spans across continents and renowned kitchens before leading him to Adnams and Southwold. We explore the journey that shaped his culinary career, from the family influences that sparked his love of food, to the most unusual flavour combinations he enjoys.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A CHEF?
My Mum inspired me to become a chef. She was always cooking when we were little and everything she made was always fresh. Homemade pastry, quiches and elderflower cordial in the summertime. So, I think all those experiences when I was little, gave me such a big interest in food and cooking.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING FOR ADNAMS?
I joined Adnams May 2023. What first attracted me was just the vast history of Adnams and Southwold. I also wanted to join a business that was diverse, interesting, quite exciting and it’s also beautiful to be by the coast.
What career steps have brought you to the role of Roaming Head Chef?
I started cooking professionally when I was about 23 or 24 at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant in London called Maze Grill. I did 15 months there, which was pretty gruelling, but learnt a huge amount along the way. I then moved to Cape Town, South Africa, and worked in a small restaurant called Ginja, which was brilliant, with lots of interesting produce to work with. When I came back, I moved down to Cornwall and worked for Rick Stein in The Seafood Restaurant, which was equally incredible.
After that, I moved to London and spent time as a freelance and private chef, working for different event companies, a boutique hotel with three restaurants and a street food business, before moving into more senior, Exec Chef type roles. My wife and I were talking about leaving London with the kids, and we thought, Suffolk would be a good place to be. That led me to Adnams. I was looking for a senior chef role and whilst researching Adnams and getting to know them, they just seemed like a good fit for me.
WHAT'S THE MOST UNUSUAL INGREDIENT IN YOUR KITCHEN RIGHT NOW?
It is a nut mix called Dukkah, which is Middle Eastern and absolutely delicious. I make it with cashews, fennel seeds, some chilli, sesame seeds and coriander seeds. You toast everything separately, give it a blend then mix it all together. Add a little bit of olive oil, salt and sugar and it can be kept in a jam-jar in the store cupboard for a couple of weeks. It is amazing on almost everything. You can put it on a portion of roasted veg for example, roasted sweet potatoes or roasted broccoli. It works on top of a hearty salad and goes very well with meat and fish. It adds a textural element to whatever you're eating. Once you have the ingredients in the cupboard they last for a long time, and it can be made every couple of weeks.
DO YOU HAVE A GO-TO MIDNIGHT SNACK AFTER A LONG SHIFT?
It depends where I'm working in the kitchen. If I'm on the pastry section, I am crying out for some salt so usually have a grilled cheese sani! We always have loads of cheese in the fridge at home as we're both love it apart from the kid’s mild cheddar! If we’re lucky we might have some zingy blue or a soft brie like Baron Bigod or St Jude's which are both very local and amazing. It tends to be toast with a thick layer of Dijon mustard, slices of whatever cheese there is all layered up with some pickles, loads of Lea & Perrins sauce and then under the grill.
If I have been working on the sauce section, I've been tasting a lot of salt all evening and I'll need something cold and sweet. This is generally ice cream and chocolate sauce. I'll quietly open the freezer so that I don't wake anybody up then ransack the kid’s ice cream - for which my wife will kill me.
We don't keep that much chocolate in the house, so I tend to make a sauce from Nutella, golden syrup, a bit of cocoa powder and double cream if I've got it. If not, then a splash of milk and a bit of butter. I have no idea about quantities, but it’s all melted then poured over the ice cream. When I was little, we had a sauce called Ice Magic that sets hard on ice cream. It came in a volcano-shaped tub. This is the same thing. It sets like a block and is amazing. Either of those two things just hit the spot!
A standout for me out is a duck starter from Head Chef Rory. Whole Barbary ducks are broken down and the legs are skinned, salted, de-boned then packed into a terrine mould and cooked overnight. The breasts are brined for 12 hours (Rory spent months working on a recipe only known to a few special individuals...!) then very gently smoked over hot coals for 20mins. The excess duck fat from the legs is rendered, cooled and whipped up with butter and salt. All the bones are roasted off and added to various stocks. Not only is this all delicious, it's also great to be using the whole bird, so wastage is minimal, and the different techniques involved make it enjoyable to prep.
WHAT IS A FAVOURITE DISH YOU HAVE CREATED?
One of my favourite dishes has come with me over the years is a braised lentil dish. Very humble and simple in its ingredients but does need a lot of little things to be done really well. It requires nicely chopped veg, caramelised in a pan and well-seasoned with a touch of smoked paprika. Chorizo or Nduja can be added then it’s de-glazed with some white wine. Chopped toms, chicken stock are all braised with Puy lentils and cooked until soft. Right at the end, it’s finished with a splash of double cream and lemon juice to bring a bit of acidity. It's a dish I absolutely love as you can eat it by itself or have it with roast cod or lamb rump. It's incredibly versatile as a garnish. Quite autumnal, but it can be lightened by losing the double cream. It’s a lovely dish that I started cooking years ago. It’s had many different alterations over the years, but it's something I go back to time and time again and it’s always well received.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNT DURING YOUR CAREER?
About 20 years, I sat down for one of my first serious job interviews with the director of HR for the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square. We had quite a good interview and right at the end he said something that has stuck with me since that day. It was: “We hire a personality and we teach a skill.” I think I've always had that in the back of my mind when I've been recruiting. We are in a ‘people’ business and that doesn't just mean front-of-house, that means back-of-house too. You've got to have the right people with the right kind of personality that fits in with the culture of that business. If you employ people who are passionate, engaging, want to be there and want to learn then that’s half the battle. This industry is made up of great people and if you surround yourself with them, you're onto a winner.
WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST FOOD COMBINATION YOU SECRETLY ENJOY?
It’s a dark chocolate mousse with some really good quality extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil (here in Suffolk, we've got some great producers). There's something about it, I can't quite explain what it is, but it works! Definitely try it. Tell me I'm wrong!