Interview with Chef Fergus Henderson

St. John Bar and Restaurant was opened in 1994 by Chef Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver. As an art historian, I can tell you that having a background in architecture is a huge advantage in any art field; specially in the culinary field. Fergus studied architecture before turning his heart towards food. Fergus’ food is British; simple but in no way boring. Think of Alvar Aalto or Isamu Noguchi. Fergus took the time to answer a few of our questions about his daily life and love of cooking.

FE: Did you cook growing up?

FH: Yes, the first thing I made was floating islands.

FE: Who in your life has influenced your cooking the most?

FH: My Mum

FE: What made you decide you would become a professional cook?

FH: The Fickle Finger of Fate

FE: What misconceptions do people have coming into the field?

FH: More misconceptions than conceptions

FE: Best cooking tip for a novice?

FH: If unsure always ask.

FE: Which three cooking tools or gadgets are your favorites?

FH: A good knife, a corkscrew and a spurtle

FE: Funniest kitchen incident?

FH: Probably didn’t seem that funny at the time.

FE: Favorite food to cook with?

FH: Depends on one’s mood.

FE: When at home, what do you like to eat?

FH: Mainly pasta as the only good shop nearby is Italian

FE: Your favorite cookbook?

FH: Marcella Hazan’s ‘The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking‘

FE: Is there a specific etiquette in your kitchen that you pride yourself in?

FH: Be polite!

St. John Restaurant and Bar is located at 26 St. John Street London EC1M 4AY 020 3301 8069