Happy Birthday Rich! From discovering unbelievable smoked soy sauce to dreaming of street food adventures in Japan, here’s Rich’s birthday interview.

What’s your ultimate comfort food? The one thing you’d eat in your PJs on a lazy Sunday?
What the hell’s a lazy Sunday?! It’s got to be pasta… although I’ll be making it myself, so maybe not that lazy. Clearly Rich doesn’t do lazy!

What’s the most surprising ingredient you’ve fallen in love with? Something you never expected to enjoy cooking with?
A smoked soy sauce – unbelievable stuff.

What’s your ultimate cooking hack that’ll totally level up your kitchen game?
Whenever I cook for others, I ask, “Do you want me to do it in a sped-up way where it’ll be… food, or take longer and make it better?” Time equals better food. So, taking your time is the real hack.

You have a £50 budget at the supermarket to whip up a dinner party – what’s on the menu?
A mezze of homemade Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Pita, Moussaka, Mahalebi and some spicy sauces! Sounds like our Middle Eastern Class – count us in!

We all love a cheeky takeaway now and then – what’s your go-to spot in London when you’re too tired to cook?
I’m a grumpy bastard and honestly think you can’t get good takeaway. Everything tastes worse and is less healthy.

Below: Rich in Italy on his wedding day – not so grumpy!?

Imagine it’s your dream birthday meal – what’s on the menu, and where are you eating it?
I’d love to go on an adventure again, like when I was in Hanoi in Vietnam. So maybe Japan, eating street food in the hustle and bustle of the streets. That’s my dream right now.

Are there any foodie rules or trends you think are just total nonsense? (Looking at you, gold-leaf on everything…)
Air fryers. It’s not a fryer, it’s a small, powerful oven. People say you can use less oil, but why the hell are you eating fried chicken and trying to make it healthy? If you use it to speed up cooking, cool. But using less oil to justify fried food makes no sense. Controversial

If you could swap jobs with any chef in the world for one day, who would it be, and why?
Raymond Blanc. He has 150 different types of apple trees! I’d love to spend a day experimenting with those and wander his incredible garden, picking bits to see what I could conjure up.

London’s packed with amazing restaurants – what’s your top hidden gem that we all need to try?!
Oi Vita in North London. Great pizza and not so well known. Add to the list everyone! 

Below: Pizza at Oi Vita

Lastly, what is your food nemesis?
Tinned tuna. It belongs to cats

He’s coming for air fryers and tinned Tuna, maybe he is a grumpy a bastard! Either way have a great birthday Rich!