Stuart Woolvin - Breakfast Chef at Dart Marina Hotel & Spa
How long have you worked in the hotel kitchen?
It will be 35 years in February. I am the longest serving member of staff - part of the furniture you might say! When I reached 30 years the management gave me a £1,000 travel voucher and my wife and I went to Lake Garda.
What’s the secret to keeping a job for that long?
I always take the rough with the smooth and there are a lot of ups and down in a kitchen I can tell you! I have had other job offers over the years but I’m a creature of habit and once I’ve found something I like I stick to it.
You must have seen a few changes?
Mainly with the food. When I first started it was prawn cocktail, steak Diane and black forest gateau. Now it’s mussels, beef carpaccio and panna cotta. There is also much more emphasis on sourcing local ingredients.
What is the most popular item on the menu?
People do like crab whether it’s in a sandwich or as part of a mousse. Our beautiful lemon sole also goes down well.
Did you always want to be a chef?
Yes, my grandparents had a fish and chip shop so perhaps it’s in the blood! I always helped mum in the kitchen making Sunday roasts and jam tarts. I got my first part-time job at 14 in a Taunton steak house and I went on to train at Torquay College. A friend once said to me “some people are just meant to do things and you were meant to cook”.
What’s the worst part of the job?
Getting up at 4.30am in the middle of winter. I press the snooze button up to eight times!
What keeps you going through the shift?
TEA! I drink about 20 cups a day. I never say no to a nice brew. I don’t take sugar though which makes me feel a bit better - I am trying to cut down!
How many eggs do you get through each day?
About 150. My fluffy scrambled eggs are my breakfast speciality.
Where can we find you when you’re not in the kitchen?
On Bayards Cove watching the world go by. Or on my bike, I’m a keen cyclist and love going out with my son and grandchildren. One of my favourite rides is to Blackpool Sands.
Top TV chef?
Rick Stein. I like the Cornish link and I love fish. He keeps it tasty but simple.
What would be your top meal of choice, no expense spared?
A nice turbot with brown butter and shrimps, fresh spinach and locally sourced new potatoes. I also like whole seabass. One of my best holiday memories was cooking freshly caught seabass on a BBQ in Gozo. Delicious!
You are a food festival veteran now, what do you like about it?
I think this is my 8th year doing a demonstration. I like the buzz on stage and the banter with the presenter. I also enjoy answering questions from the audience and they do put you to the test! It’s a great event and shows Dartmouth at its best - we really do have some top-notch restaurants and producers here.
What is the best present anyone could give you?
The keys to a Mini convertible.
Favourite film?
Italian Job
Favourite drink?
Got to be a G&T
Favourite season?
Autumn
First published By The Dart October 2015 Issue