Chef's Secret Guilty Pleasures

You might imagine that gourmet chefs eat nothing but the finest partridge wing drizzled in Tibetan truffle oil, the truth is that most of them have a secret guilty food pleasure or two.

From fish finger sandwiches to childhood ice cream treats, we got the lowdown on the favourite comfort foods of our Elite chefs…

Mark Rainbow, Head Pastry Chef at Luton Hoo
I have to admit that when I get back from work late in the evening, I love a fish finger sandwich or a chip butty. Delicious. I am also a huge fan of Monster Munch crisps as they take me back to my childhood in an instant. 

Alex Floyd, Head Pastry Chef at Ashdown Park Hotel
My guilty pleasure would be nachos, they are so simple and quick to make. You can add so many different toppings too, like chilli and cheese. It makes a different snack every time. 

Keith Mitchell, Executive Head Chef at The Grand Hotel 
My guilty pleasure has to be a classic bacon sarnie. Yum.

Amiee Hall, Commis Chef at Ashdown Park Hotel 
My guilty pleasure is anything that has chocolate in it — I am a massive chocoholic! 

Mike Lloyd, Executive Chef at Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens
I can’t actually think of a guilty pleasure as such but I am guilty of spending far too much time in the kitchen at home, where I make my own bread. I suppose my one naughty vice would be the occasional ice lolly.

Stephanie Malvoisin, Head Chef – Fine Dining at The Grand Hotel 
My guilty pleasure has to be a toasted baguette with jam. I could literally eat it at any time of the day or night. 

Andrew Wilson, Executive Chef at Ashdown Park Hotel 
My guilty pleasure would be ice cream and wine gums as it takes me back to my childhood. I love the different textures of the hard wine gums mixed together with the melting ice cream. Yum.

So there you have it — when not debating the finer points of foie gras, Elite chefs can be found sneakily wolfing down ice lollies and bacon butties. Hopefully, this will now encourage you to embrace your own guilty food pleasures without apology. You only live once, after all.