Tom Kerridge - Kitchen Trauma, Alcohol Abuse & How I Won 2 Michelin Stars For My Pub!

Описание: This week on The Go-To Food Podcast, we sit down with one of Britain’s most recognisable chefs, Tom Kerridge, for a refreshingly honest conversation about the journey from wild, hard-drinking kitchens to becoming a household name with multiple Michelin stars.

Tom opens up about the early days of The Hand and Flowers, how he went from not even knowing what a Michelin star meant to becoming the first pub in the UK to earn two. He reflects on the sacrifices, personally and professionally, that came with success, including a traumatic kitchen accident that left a young chef with life-changing injuries, forcing him to confront the pressure-cooker culture of hospitality.

We dig into the pivotal moment he quit drinking, and how that transformed not just his lifestyle but his leadership style. He talks about managing fame while still pulling 18-hour shifts, and how the restaurant robbery that left his team devastated became a lesson in resilience.

There’s plenty of lighter stuff too; like an epic story of when Liam Gallagher came for a long lunch to the Hand & Flowers, the story behind his dream food weekend in Singapore, and the three-course meal he’d serve his mates (including a controversial soufflé just to wind up Sat Bains).

From building a people-first kitchen culture to his thoughts on where British food is heading next, this episode is Tom Kerridge as you’ve never heard him before: candid, self-aware, and full of hard-won wisdom.
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00:00 – The Legend Arrives: Tom Kerridge in the Hot Seat
00:41 – Hospitality in Crisis: Costs, Pressure & Passion
02:10 – Running Multiple Restaurants: Juggling to Survive
03:45 – London vs Marlow: The Brutal Economics of Location
05:06 – Barbecue Revolution: Tom’s Take on Outdoor Cooking
06:58 – Allergic to Shellfish, Still Cooking with It
08:53 – From Chef to Author: Making Cookbooks for Real People
10:16 – 20 Years of The Hand & Flowers: No Compromise Cooking
12:19 – Still in the Kitchen? The Shift from Chef to Leader
13:48 – Building a Legacy: People First, Always
15:20 – Understanding Michelin: It's About You, Not the Guide
17:30 – Corned Beef & Lillet: A Childhood Meal Reimagined
20:35 – The Origin Story: How The Hand & Flowers Was Born
24:59 – Winning a Michelin Star in 10 Months
26:56 – Consistency Over Flash: The Two-Star Mentality
30:26 – Partnership Power: Beth & Tom’s Shared Vision
33:43 – Temptations Abroad: Why Tom Says No to Dubai
35:14 – Food Roots: Gloucester Upbringing & Corned Beef Nights
36:43 – Youth Theatre, Acting & Miss Marple Cameos
38:58 – White Heat & Kitchen Dreams: Finding Culinary Purpose
40:09 – First Time in a Kitchen: Chaos, Knives, and Adrenaline
42:23 – The Capital Years: Brutality & Bench-Sleeping
45:53 – Keep an Eye on My Carrots: The Vanishing Chef Story
48:47 – Pastry Nightmares & Protein Instincts
50:02 – Finding Confidence: From Apprentice to Party Chef
51:53 – Gary Rhodes’ Influence: Precision & British Pride
54:45 – The Boozy Years: Chaos, Culture, and Control
57:59 – Why I Stopped Drinking: Escape, Reflection & Fitness
1:01:03 – No Day Drinking, But Nights Were Wild
1:02:15 – Real Friends, Real Change: Support in Sobriety
1:02:44 – Liam Gallagher’s Visit: Moonwalking Through the Kitchen
1:04:45 – Worst Day at Work: A Horrific Kitchen Accident
1:07:15 – Every Mistake Is a Lesson: The Philosophy of Progress
1:09:04 – From Shouting to Leading: How Tom Changed as a Boss
1:11:48 – When the Customer Is Too Rude: Knowing When to Say No
1:13:41 – Creating a Michelin Experience—In Flip-Flops
1:14:12 – Tom’s Go-To Food Spots: From Curry Houses to Singapore
1:18:43 – Final Course: Tom’s Dream Three-Course Meal
1:20:49 – Wrap-Up: Blink Offer, Barbecues & Oasis