Britain’s top chefs have revealed their guilty pleasure snacks, ranging from the typical – biscuits – to the more unconventional, such as bacon topped vanilla ice cream.
Cooks from the UK and beyond have shared what the reach for when they’re peckish in a new interview with The Times; and some of the answers may have you questioning their culinary tastes.
Legendary French-born restaurateur Raymond Blanc, of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Great Milton – which holds two Michelin stars – was first to dish the secret on his favourite between-meals munch.
He may be one of the finest chefs in the world, but the self-taught 76-year-old loves nothing more than a simple spoonful of cottage cheese drizzled with maple syrup, telling the publication he didn’t have ‘many unusual favourite snacks’.
Meanwhile, Michel Roux, once the owner of the two Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Gavroche in London, admitted to combining two peculiar food items in an unlikely sweet and savoury fusion.
‘I have to say that a tangy cheese on a digestive is rather nice, and I could live on cheese for sure, but what I really love to snack on is saucisson sec… on good crusty bread with lots of salted butter,’ he told the publication.
Even royal-related tastebuds are partial to an unusual treat, as Tom Parker-Bowles, 50, revealed.
The son of Queen Camila admitted he enjoys chowing down on ‘cheap American-style cheese slices’, insisting on corner shop versions only, topping it with cracked black pepper and Tabasco.
Next, Emily English, an online nutritionist and now the author of a #1 Sunday Times bestseller cookbook, So Good, also shared her most unwonted treat.
The 29-year-old loves nothing more than to tuck into a bowl of full-fat yoghurt topped with a salted rice cake, peanut butter, honey, and a handful of frozen raspberries – a treat that she insisted ‘tastes like a popcorn ice-cream sundae’.
Another chef revealed their unusual twist on a classic bowl of vanilla ice cream. Elliot Hashtroudi, head chef at London’s Camille, a French restaurant serving up regional classics, confessed to stirring bits of cooked bacon into his ice cream.
The chef said he became inspired to try the unlikely but ‘amazing’ combination after noting how well a burger and milkshake go when eaten in conjunction.
Hannah Evans, deputy food editor at The Times, said hers was what she called a Marmite and cheese ‘calzone’, which involved microwaving the two ingredients smushed into a tortilla wrap.
She professed that the snack would likely ruffle some feathers among Italian traditionalists, describing it as her ‘particularly indulgent’ treat reserved for days when ‘nobody else is home’.
Elsewhere, chef and restaurateur of Michelin star Pollen Street Social, Jason Atherton, also enjoys tucking into a simple sandwich.
Brimming with British classics, the 53-year-old said his staple snack sarnie is filled with cocktail crisp sandwiches, grated cheddar and HP Sauce.
And Theo Randall, who specialises in Italian cuisine and has previously earned a Michelin star working The River Cafe in London, said his favoured choice was a slice of buttered sourdough with salted anchovies and a squeeze of lemon.
Elsewhere, José Pizarro, chef and restaurateur, who runs José Pizarro Group, which currently includes six restaurants in the UK and one in Abu Dhabi, added that he enjoys mussels on salt and vinegar crisps.
It comes amid a delicious time for foodies, as Deliveroo has recently revealed the top takeaway restaurants in the UK, including a TikTok viral sandwich shop and high street bakery Gail’s.
The winners of the food delivery platform’s annual awards were announced on Wednesday, based on 160,000 customer votes and the verdict of a panel of judges; Deliveroo founder Will Shu, food critic Jimi Famurewa and Tilly Ramsay.
Winners were split across five different categories including independent businesses on both national and regional levels – and a new category sponsored by darts sensation Luke Littler who uncovered the nation’s best kebab.
The most prestigious accolade, the Independent Restaurant of the Year UK & Ireland, won by trendy London sandwich shop, Crunch, based in Spitalfields Market.
Competing against Crunch for the crown, were restaurants who’d already picked up regional awards, including a Leeds cake shop and Bristolian fast-food chain.
Each were judged by the panel on brand personality, food quality and value, packaging and presentation, customer reviews and loyalty, innovation, and going the extra mile.
First place winner Crunch, a brioche bread sandwich pop-up shop, was awarded two prizes.
After being crowned the International Restaurant of the Year for Greater London, it went on to battle against the other regional winners before winning the national category too.
The self-described ‘experimental’ eatery, which opened in 2022, shone brightest with its ‘Patty Melt’, a sarnie containing truffle beef, red Leicester, and black truffle mayonnaise on golden brioche, which was the most popular dish on Deliveroo.
Having amassed a cult following on social media, the trendy bap makers were praised for their string of five star reviews, and by judges ‘for creating a new era of game-changing sandwiches and their fearless approach to cooking.’
Regional categories were won by a mixture of pizza, cake and salad outlets.
In Belfast, health food restaurant and burrito bar, Seed, won the Independent Restaurant of the Year for Ireland.
Serving acai bowls, superfood salads, burritos and smoothies, health conscious Seed won the hearts of the Irish.
Scotland preferred pizza over salad, with the nation nominating Big Manny’s Pizza as their winner. The Aberdeen-based eatery serves a range of decadent cheesy pies and is famed for their unrivalled meat specials and 18-inch pizzas, available by collection only.
Bristol won on burger and chips with the city’s Oowee Diner located on North Street, winning the area for its burgers, tasty dips and loaded dirty fries.
Get Baked, a cake shop and bakery located in Leeds, took home the crown for Manchester and Leeds. The eatery has amassed a cult following online, in particular for its Bertha cake, a huge layered chocolate cake that was inspired by the Roald Dahl tale Matilda.
Leeds was also the destination for the winner of the Luke Littler x Deliveroo Best Kebab Award, with the city’s Sqew Shawarma Bar nabbing the title.
The darts prodigy shortlisted ten ‘Litter-approved’ venues, all of which went to a public vote with Sqew Shawarma Bar, coming out top.
Sqew’s Khobez kebab with chicken, salad and sauce, was a notable mention.
Additional awards were granted in acknowledgment of other hospitality strengths, including Deliveroo’s Above and Beyond awards.
Divisive high-street bakery, Gail’s, was also given a Heart of the Community award across the nation, a win that will no doubt come as a surprise to those who have accused the chain of ‘gentrification’.
The bakery was at the heart of fierce debate last year, as locals in a number of locations, including Worthing and Wandsworth, fought back against plans to build new outlets on their high-streets.
Others in the category included the Environmentally Sustainability award, given to Bujo in Dublin, the Customer Obsession award, which went to Burger Me Up in Birmingham, and the Rider Love award given to Thunderbirds, a chicken restaurant with various outlets across London.
The Icon awards also showcased the talents of UK restaurant owners, with Naeem Aslam, Director of Aagrah Leeds winning the Lifetime Achievement, and Rich Myers, Founder of Get Baked scoring the Changing the Game award.
The Rising Star award went to Enrico Pinna, Co-Founder of Ad Maiora, in Manchester.
The Role Model award was given to Tim Vasilakis, Founder of The Athenian, which boasts multiple locations across the UK, including in London, Bristol and Sheffield.
Reflecting on the overall winner of this year’s Deliveroo awards, Jimi Famurewa, food critic and Deliveroo restaurant awards judge, said: ‘It’s an honour to be a returning judge for Deliveroo’s UK & Ireland restaurant awards, and I was blown away by the passion and talent on display at the Independent Restaurant of the Year cook-off.
‘Each finalist brought something unique and delicious to the table, making the final decision incredibly tough for us.
‘However, Crunch from London stood out amongst the fierce competition, showcasing immense creativity, fine dining-level technique and mindblowing flavour that impressed us all.’
Michael Medovnikov, Co-founder of Crunch: ‘From our humble beginnings in a Shoreditch pub to winning Independent Restaurant of the Year for UK & Ireland with Deliveroo in just a few years – it’s an absolutely surreal and incredible feelinh.
We poured our hearts into every single sandwich we’ve made for our customers, so this award is for our amazing team and all the customers who’ve supported us from the start of this wild journey. Thank you to Deliveroo and everyone who voted for us to receive this amazing recognition!’
