Over the pass: Jamie Anderson

Merseyside born Jamie, 27, was classically trained by numerous Michelin Star chefs and has worked in a variety of premier hotels and restaurants throughout Europe. On returning from his travels in Europe, Jamie re-embraced British cuisine and co-founded Pickled Walnut Bespoke Catering in 2005, with his long time friend, Mark Kershaw. They now cater for events across the North West and are suppliers of choice for venues including Blackpool Tower, Heaton House Farm in Cheshire and Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, as well as having cooked for everyone from Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Prince Charles to tennis champions Martina Hingis and Goran Ivanisevic.

How did you find your way into your profession?

My mum wasn’t the best cook, which really motivated me to go into catering.

Did you have any other career considerations?

I was always a bit of a show-off as a child, so I think I would have probably gone into acting.

What makes you passionate about your profession?

The fact that we create a fantastic product, get to meet great people and work with some amazing staff and customers.

Which events throughout the course of your career have shaped you most as a chef?

I gained my work ethic from working in fine dining establishments and understanding that everything is in the detail. But I think the most influential thing for me was realising that I could make my own path, with my own cuisine, and that people actually enjoyed and liked my food. This spurred me and my business partner, Mark Kershaw, on to scale the dizzy heights.

Where do you draw inspiration from in delivering your ideas for your business?

I look to the great chefs of the world with their restaurants and techniques, the bounty of local produce that is readily available on our doorstep and the collection of about 300 cookery books in my office. But most of all we monitor food trends as there is no better way of staying on top.

How essential is the support from your team in delivering your ideas, and how do you work with your team to ensure your ideas are realised?

Nine out of ten of our jobs are bespoke, which means we constantly look for ways to inspire, entertain and wow the client with our food and how it is served. My team contribute to the ideas pool, but most importantly are realistic about what we can achieve and deliver – they stop me from getting carried away.

Which food or drink producer would you recommend using and working with from the North West?

At the moment, I am most happy with our veg supplier Lemon Tree. They work alongside our head chef ensuring that we use local food that’s in season.

What is your vision for the food, drink and hospitality industry in the North West?

Pickled Walnut’s vision going forward is to work with our customers and find out what they want, instead of telling them what they should have. We now look to plan menus 12 months in advance for functions and only by working closely with suppliers will we gain knowledge of how the seasons work and how best to educate our clientele. We are constantly introducing new methods of cookery and new, exciting, unique ways of serving food.

How would you like to see the industry develop?

My hope is that we continue to improve the calibre of chefs and waiters coming through our industry and, with the opening of top class establishments by the country’s leading chefs in the northwest, we can do this. I think we need to see more independents in the market and look to improve catering at all levels and standards, and let’s get Liverpool that important Michelin star restaurant - because god knows there is enough talent here these days.