This roundup gathers practical cooking tips for home cooks from ten professional chefs working in London restaurants, several of them in Mayfair and central London. Contributors include Michael Turner (Executive Chef, Willett’s at The Cadogan, Chelsea), Charlie Dilworth (Head Chef, SiLVA, Mayfair), Larry Jayasekara (Chef-Owner, The Cocochine, Mayfair), Anthony Demetre (Chef-Proprietor, Wild Honey St James, Pall Mall), David Moore (owner, Pied à Terre, Charlotte Street, Michelin-starred for over 30 years), Mark Kempson (Executive Chef, Kitchen W8, Kensington, Michelin-starred), Tom Cenci (consultant, former head chef of Duck & Waffle), Chef Henry (Riding House Café) and Chef Ratanapon (Head Chef, Thai Square). Key techniques covered include: sourcing the best possible ingredients and minimising intervention; allowing pans to heat fully and resisting the urge to stir constantly, so ingredients caramelise properly; seasoning throughout cooking rather than only at the end, including David Moore’s “high-altitude” salting technique (releasing salt from roughly 30cm above the dish for even distribution); bringing meat and fish to room temperature before cooking for even results; layering umami depth into slow-cooked dishes using parmesan rind, fish sauce, soy sauce, celery salt and vinegar; avoiding overcrowding when wok-frying to prevent steaming instead of stir-frying; and rethinking assumptions about wild game, with venison recommended as a direct, leaner substitute for beef in familiar recipes. The article also includes a personal tip on pre-preparing courses ahead of dinner parties to avoid being tied to the stove.
Why I Went Looking for These Tips in the First Place
Anybody who knows me knows I love food — and I love cooking, too. I’d describe myself as an enthusiastic amateur. A while ago I had a lightbulb moment: why not write an article gathering tips to help us amateur cooks from the very best chefs in town? Can I be honest with you? I was just as eager to learn from their advice as anyone — but it sounded rather better asking on behalf of the website! Luckily, the chefs we know are wonderfully supportive and, although they probably saw through my little ruse, were only too happy to help. I think you’ll find their tips genuinely enlightening, and I thank each and every one of them for their insights. It’s so much appreciated.
Start With the Best Ingredients — Then Get Out of Their Way
Ask a professional chef for their number one tip and you’ll hear the same thing again and again: great cooking begins before you’ve so much as turned on the hob. It starts at the shops.
Michael Turner, Executive Chef at Willett’s at The Cadogan in Chelsea , puts it simply. “Start with the best ingredients you can afford and then do as little as possible to them,” he advises. “If the produce is exceptional, your job is simply to let it shine.” It’s a philosophy that runs through some of London’s best British cooking — and one any home cook can adopt the moment they next go shopping.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Chef Henry at Riding House Café whose career has taken him from France to the Caribbean. “Great cooking starts with great ingredients and attention to detail,” he says. “Give ingredients the respect they deserve, and you’ll be amazed how much better your food tastes.”
Don’t Rush the Pan
If there’s one mistake the professionals see home cooks make more than any other, it’s impatience at the stove. Several of our contributors raised it independently — which tells you just how important it is.
Tom Cenci, consultant and former Duck & Waffle head chef is blunt about it. “One of the biggest mistakes home cooks make is rushing the pan,” he says. “Whether you’re cooking fish, meat, or vegetables, let the pan heat properly before adding your ingredients, and resist the urge to move things around constantly. Good colour equals good flavour, and that comes from allowing ingredients to sit undisturbed long enough to caramelise.”
Michael Turner agrees, and sees the same thing in his own kitchen. “Whether it’s meat, fish or vegetables, allow enough time for proper caramelisation and resist the temptation to keep moving things around,” he says. “A well-coloured piece of food will always have more flavour than one that’s been hurried.” The lesson? Give your food space, give it heat, and give it time.
Season With Confidence — and Taste as You Go
Seasoning is where home cooks most often lose their nerve. The professionals are unanimous: be braver, and taste constantly.
Chef Henry of Riding House Café doesn’t mince his words. “Stop being scared of seasoning,” he urges. “Taste your food as you go, and trust your palate.” It’s advice that costs nothing and transforms results.
Tom Cenci frames seasoning not as a final flourish but as part of the whole process. “Taste as you go — seasoning isn’t a final step, it’s something you build throughout the cooking process,” he says. “A dish that’s been tasted and adjusted along the way will almost always outperform one that’s only seasoned at the end.”
And for those who worry about over-salting, David Moore, owner of Michelin-starred Pied à Terre on Charlotte Street, shares a professional trick he calls ‘high-altitude’ seasoning. “Salt food from above at every stage of cooking, not just at the end,” he says. “Hold your fingers about 30 centimetres above the dish and release the salt in a slow, steady stream. Falling from a height helps distribute the salt more evenly, reducing the chance of overly salty bites caused by concentrated patches.” Salting throughout cooking, he adds, also gives the seasoning time to penetrate ingredients and enhance flavour from within.
Cook With Your Senses, Not Just the Recipe
Charlie Dilworth, Head Chef at SiLVA in Mayfair, believes the single most valuable skill a home cook can develop is confidence in their own senses. “Learn to cook with your senses and have confidence with it,” he says. “Listen, smell, taste and watch the ingredients. A recipe can guide you in the right direction, but your eyes, palate and other senses will tell you when food is really how it should be.”
Charlie also offered a handful of quickfire habits worth committing to memory:
• A sharp knife makes cutting ingredients so much easier — and safer.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan.
• You can always add more of something, but you can’t take it out again.
• Acidity is a cheat code — a squeeze of citrus or a splash of vinegar can lift a whole dish.
Let Meat and Fish Come to Room Temperature
A deceptively simple tip, and one of the easiest to put into practice, comes from Larry Jayasekara, Chef-Owner of The Cocochine in Mayfair. “Any meat or fish, before cooking, take out of the fridge and bring to room temperature,” he advises. It’s a small habit that makes a real difference to how evenly your food cooks — a fridge-cold steak or fillet will cook unevenly, leaving you with an overdone exterior before the centre has caught up.
Build Layers of Flavour With Umami ‘Secret Weapons’
For slow-cooked dishes, Anthony Demetre, Chef-Proprietor of Wild Honey St James, let us into the secrets of his store cupboard. “I’m a great fan of ragùs and long, slow-cooked casseroles, whether they be red or white meat, fish or vegetable-based,” he says. “The task is understanding the layering of flavours.” His secret weapons for building that depth:
Vinegar — he recommends producing your own, or seeking out specialists such as The Vinegar Shed.
Parmesan rind — don’t throw it away; add it to the simmering pot.
Fish sauce or puréed anchovies — nam pla or another good brand.
Soy sauce — a gem that shouldn’t be reserved just for Asian food.
Celery salt — another umami-enhancing unsung hero that adds a unique savouriness.
Pepper — “the powerhouse of spice, yet completely misunderstood in this country,” says Anthony. There’s a whole world of berries to explore, from fiery to fruity.
Master the Wok: Prep First, Cook Fast
Chef Ratanapon, Head Chef at Thai Square , has clear advice for anyone attempting Thai food at home. “One of the biggest mistakes we see is overcrowding the wok,” he says. “If you put too much in at once, the food steams instead of stir-frying. The secret is cooking in small batches over a high heat.” He stresses building flavour from the very start — gently frying aromatics like garlic, chilli and lemongrass in hot oil first to release their oils — and holding back on seasoning until the end. “Take the pan off the heat before balancing your fish sauce, palm sugar and lime so you don’t overcorrect.” His final word is one every professional would endorse: “Get all your prep done before you turn on the hob. Thai cooking moves fast, so you don’t want to be chopping while things are sizzling.”
Be Braver With Game
Finally, a tip to take you out of your comfort zone. Mark Kempson, Executive Chef at the Michelin-starred Kitchen W8 in Kensington and a celebrated game cook, wants home cooks to rethink their assumptions. “There’s a big misconception that wild game meat is strong in flavour. Years ago, maybe!” he says. “The way game is processed now is much different — refrigerated quickly after harvest and not hung for too long. This results in subtle, lean and tender meat.”
His advice for getting started couldn’t be simpler. “Try any favourite beef recipe and replace it with wild venison,” he suggests. “Swap out beef mince for venison mince and beef steaks for a venison steak. Cook them in the same fashion and you won’t be disappointed.” Venison is high in protein, low in calories and carries a low carbon footprint — and it’s available year-round depending on species. Mark’s personal favourite? Fallow deer.
Meet the Chefs
A huge thank you to every chef who contributed to this piece. Here’s a little more about each of them — and do click through to view their websites
Michael Turner — Willett’s, Chelsea
Michael Turner is Executive Chef at the excellent Willett’s, the British bistro at The Cadogan on Sloane Street. He spent much of his career within the Gordon Ramsay Group, including senior roles at The Savoy Grill and The River Restaurant, and brings a produce-led, classically informed approach to modern British cooking.
Tom Cenci
Tom Cenci is one of London’s most respected chefs, with a CV spanning Joël Robuchon and the launch of Duck & Waffle, where he was head chef. He now works as a chef and consultant across the London scene. Website
David Moore — Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia
David Moore is the founder and owner of Pied à Terre on Charlotte Street, which has held a Michelin star for more than three decades — the longest-standing star in London. Website
Larry Jayasekara — The Cocochine, Mayfair
Larry Jayasekara is Chef-Owner of The Cocochine on Bruton Place, where four storeys of an elegant Mayfair townhouse showcase his precise, ingredient-led approach to modern fine dining. Website
Anthony Demetre — Wild Honey St James
Anthony Demetre is Chef-Proprietor of Wild Honey St James on Pall Mall, where his Michelin-starred, unfussy, flavour-led cooking — built on classic technique and seasonal ingredients. Website
Mark Kempson — Kitchen W8, Kensington
Mark Kempson is Executive Chef at Kitchen W8 in Kensington, which has held a Michelin star for over a decade. He is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest game chefs. Website
Chef Ratanapon — Thai Square
Chef Ratanapon is Head Chef at Thai Square, serving authentic Thai cooking that moves at the fast, high-heat pace the cuisine demands. Website
Chef Henry — Riding House Café
Chef Henry heads up the kitchen at Riding House Café, bringing experience from kitchens across France and the Caribbean to its all-day menu. Website
Charlie Dilworth — SiLVA, Mayfair
Charlie Dilworth is Head Chef at SiLVA, the calming, forest-themed mews restaurant on Bruton Place serving sublime Mediterranean cuisine. Website
And One From Me: Surviving the Dinner Party
I’m far from being a professional chef, but I’d like to pass on how I handle cooking for dinner parties — something we all know can send even a competent home cook into a nervous wreck.
My golden rule is to pre-prepare as much as possible in advance. If I’m cooking three courses, invariably at least two of them will be prepared ahead of time — it makes the whole evening so much easier. For instance, I love cooking scallops for a starter, but if I do, I’ll serve a slow-cooked dish for mains that needs no last-minute attention. At a dinner party you want to be able to chat with your guests, not be chained to the hob. Cooking three courses to order is far too much — leave that to the pros.
The Last Word
If there’s a thread running through all of this professional wisdom, it’s patience and confidence — buy the best you can, slow down, taste constantly, and trust your senses. None of it requires special equipment or years of training. Just a willingness to cook a little more like the professionals do. And if you’re hungry for something to cook tonight, we’ve got over 60 easy-cook recipes on the website to get you started. We’ll be adding more tips to this piece as they arrive, so do check back — and if you try any of them, let us know how you get on in the comments.
