What’s not to find attractive?

They’re passionate about their work. They’re good with their hands. Maybe there’s something about the chef whites. The ability to multitask. They can feed you and thus satisfy a basic human need. And if they can fulfil that, then surely they can help out with other needs too.

Ideally, at this time of the day, there’s a little dip in orders to allow for a calm handover between the morning and evening teams, but the weekend crowd had different plans. Likely sleeping off their hangovers until midday, by 3 p.m., the East London crowd descends on our restaurant like a wake of hungry vultures.

A chef’s relationship with the Michelin guide is a complicated one. If my restaurant isn’t in the guide, I will nonchalantly explain that their standards are generally outdated and their entirely opinion overrated. But if it is in the guide, it will be the first thing I mention: “I work at this restaurant – you don’t know it? It’s in the Michelin guide”.