Warrick Dodds: hungry for success

Warrick Dodds studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College

When it comes to food Warrick Dodds, the head chef of Lytham restaurant Hastings, is a perfectionist.

The 33 year old said: "I am very particular about the standard and presentation of my food.

"If something isn't right the first time I will cook it over and over again until it is."

His work ethic was instilled into him during his training at Paul Heathcote's restaurant in Longridge.

He was 16 and described it as "a very disciplined kitchen". His time there made him hungry to succeed: "I had to push myself to the limit every day to achieve the best and I still do."

Heathcote remembers his drive and determination well. "Before I employed him he would turn up at my restaurant at 9.30pm at night to help out cleaning up in the kitchen and peeling vegetables just so he could be around the chefs in the kitchen."

His quest for culinary perfection has certainly stood him in good stead. He has won a string of accolades; the 1999 American Express Young Chef of the Year, an Acorn Award and he was a Roux Scholarship finalist.

Mentors

As well as Paul Heathcote, he has also worked closely with Nigel Haworth. It's quite a combination of mentors; Heathcote and Haworth are both Michelin starred and Lancashire's most respected chefs.

After a stint in London at Chez Nico at Ninety Park Lane, Warrick was lured back to the county to work in Haworth's kitchen at Northcote Manor. He stayed at the Manor for seven years, being appointed head chef shortly after being crowned the Young Chef of the Year.

"He was a superb mentor," he said of Haworth. "I learnt so much from him about being a chef and how to get things right."

He credits Heathcote and Haworth for his success and his appreciation of the county's cuisine. "They taught me how to use Lancashire's finest produce and turn it into something magical."

Warrick says diners don't have to go to the capital for fine-dining; good food is here on the doorstep.

"Lancashire has so much to offer and there are some really good restaurants and gastro pubs. What is really impressive is the number of restaurants in the area with a commitment to using home-grown, quality produce."

Grounding

Warrick left Northcote in 2004 to take up the head chef post at Cassis restaurant at Stanley House, Mellor. He stayed three years before Hastings (formerly Sparling) opened and he took on the role of head chef.

Having been brought up in Lytham, he relished coming home to work there. "It was really special to be back where I started out, cooking the food I love."

Warrick Dodds admits he can have his grumpy moments in the kitchen

Warrick enjoyed cooking from a very young age and was one of a handful of boys to study home economics at school. He then trained at Blackpool and The Fylde College which gave him a good grounding for his future career.

"I learnt a lot in my time there," he said. Indeed, much of the staff in his kitchen are fellow Blackpool and The Fylde College graduates.

He has incorporated the best of local produce into his menu at Hastings. His favourite dish - a salad using Lytham shrimps, marsh sand fire and a soft boiled duck egg from Goosnargh - is no exception. "I love preparing it because the ingredients are so fresh and vibrant in colour.

"The taste of the Lytham shrimps is amazing and I serve them with a tarragon mayonnaise, baby wild leaves and a toasted crumpet, with a hint of mace."

Grump

While he admits he can be a grump at times "only because I care so much about my work and I can get frustrated if something goes wrong" he says his kitchen staff are like family.

"I am lucky I have an amazing team around me who I know well and work with closely. They know exactly what I am looking for and that's what makes us work so well together."

He says sous chef Andrew Justice is "a fantastic chef and a really talented person to work with".

Warrick has cooked for numerous celebrities including Robbie Williams who described his roast chicken dinner as "one of the best meals I've ever had".

He showed him his appreciation by clearing his plate! "If the plate comes back to the kitchen with nothing on it that's the biggest compliment anyone can pay me."

Has Warrick had any kitchen disasters? His motto is what goes on in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen. "A good chef shouldn't have any." He thinks for a minute before adding: "Well, maybe the odd one!"