A YOUNG chef from Wokingham has made it through to the semi-finals of one of the culinary world’s most prestigious competitions to crown Britain’s finest young chef.
Oli Marlow from Wokingham, is one of 18 chefs to compete for the Roux Scholarship next week.
The competition, which has been running for over 30 years, is judged by Michel Roux Jnr (Masterchef), Brian Turner CBE (BBC’s Ready, Steady, Cook) and James Martin (BBC Saturday Kitchen) and other Michelin-starred chefs.
The 29-year-old is looking forward to getting stuck into the next stage of the competition and can clearly stand the heat in the kitchen: “I’ve always loved cooking, it comes naturally to me. I think some people do worse under pressure, but I really enjoy it. If you fail, no one is going to criticise you, it is a lot of fun.”
The semi-finalist knew he wanted to be a chef from a young age and devoted his time to gaining experience and honing his skills working in different kitchens.
“I’ve been cooking since I was 15.
“I left school and worked in a hotel, I was there for four years, I went to college and did an apprenticeship in Bournemouth.”
Having worked in three-star restaurants all over the world, from Australia and Hong Kong to America and Norway, Oli admits that when he’s home, he likes to keep things easy.
“I love cooking simple food, roast dinners, pizza, chicken fajitas, tasty foods we all want to eat. I don’t make at home what I make at work, as I’ve been cooking throughout the day so I like to do something different at home.”
Despite working in some of the world’s finest restaurants, the well-travelled chef reveals sometimes you can’t beat a Nando’s.
“I don’t go to McDonald’s but I do love a Domino’s, I order half a Hawaiian and half a Texas BBQ.
“I love Shake Shack and Nando’s, I probably go about once a month, I get the butterfly pitta. It was my girlfriend’s friend that Facebooked Nando’s to say when are you coming to Wokingham? Soon after they actually opened one and she was asked to cut the ribbon.”
Oli was selected from approximately 150 applicants, based on his written recipe, which he will now have to cook, along with a dessert, all in two-and-a-half hours.
“It’s almost like Ready Steady Cook, you get given a bag of ingredients for the dessert and you make it up,” he said.
The Roux Scholarship is well-known and highly regarded within the industry, just being a part of it can have huge career-boosting benefits.
“You make good contacts and it really helps with building a profile,” said Oli.
Previous finalist Nathan Outlaw, who took part in the competition three times in the early 2000s now has a restaurant in Port Isaac which holds two Michelin stars.
The winner of the life-changing Roux Scholarship receives £6,000 to support their career development and three months training under a leading chef at a three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world.
“I hope to win, and spend the next few years building my profile”.
After years of learning from the best in the industry, the young chef wants to open his own fine-dining restaurant one day, based in Hampshire “away from the stress of London.”
Oli currently divides his time equally between London and Hong Kong, working for the internationally-acclaimed restaurant Roganic.
He will compete in the semi-final in London on Thursday, March 19. Six chefs will make it through to the final on Monday, April 6 in London.
