What a treat! A week ago, Zac and I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Fancett and learning about his phenomenal career history so far. We arrived at Fancett's Bistro in Cambridge, Zoom recorder in one hand and were quickly given a glass of fizz in the other. Dan and Zac have been friends since their Galvin La Chapelle days 14 years ago when they bonded over musicians like Dean Martin and Patsy Cline.
Dan’s career started before that at Harvey Nichols doing an apprenticeship which he believes is a great way to get into cooking. Many of the places Dan has worked his speciality was pastry, concocting delicious sweet desserts for guests. Additionally, he worked with famous chefs like Martin Berasategui in San Sebastián, Gary Rhodes at Rhodes Twenty-Four, Chris Warwick at The Grove Hotel. Originally lured across seas by love and romance, despite having his heart broken he experienced a rich training in French and Spanish cuisine and fine dining.
Now, he runs his own beautiful Bistro in Cambridge, we had lunch after the interview and the food was phenomenal. Sausage rolls with walnut ketchup, quintessentially English. Soft and delicate plaice with Cavolo Nero, followed by bread and butter pudding. All washed down with some fabulous wine.
Dan, Zac and I believe hospitality is an irreplaceable craft. With the increasingly online nature of our everyday life, working as a chef or front of house relies on skills which cannot be replicated by AI or machinery with the same personal and caring nature. Dan discusses how he feels about being a manager within a kitchen and the responsibility not only his team holds but also what he needs to give back to them in return.
It was a pleasure to chat with Dan and a special thanks to all his team for cooking us such a delicious lunch. Thanks for listening to the 4th episode of the Scoop x Rogues podcast series, follow us on Spotifyto be notified when new podcasts are released. Additionally, Zac and I post updates on the Rogues and Scoop Instagram to keep everyone up to date.
Your hosts today:
Stella Gent (host, producer and editor of Gentrification)
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stellagent
Zac Whittle (co-host and head chef/co-owner of Rogues and Rogue Sarnies, Hackney_
https://rogueslondon.uk/
Chef mentions:
Dan Fancett, Fancett's in Cambridge
https://www.fancetts.com/
Rogues, Hackney
https://rogueslondon.uk/
Barbecoa, Jamie Oliver (closed)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/12/barbecoa-london-restaurant-review
Galvin La Chapelle, various London locations
https://galvinrestaurants.com/michelin-french-restaurant-city-london-galvin-la-chapelle/
The Grove Hotel
https://www.thegrove.co.uk/
Chris Warwick
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christopher-warwick-64ba921a3
Gary Rhodes
https://garyrhodes.co.uk/gary-rhodes-3/
Rhodes Twenty Four (closed)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes_Twenty_Four
Harvey Nichols Chef Apprenticeship
https://careers.harveynichols.com/job/chef-apprentice-4186
Prism Restaurant, Harvey Nichols (closed)
https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/prism-closed
Odette’s, Primrose Hill
https://odettesprimrosehill.com/
Bryn Williams, currently head chef of Odette’s
https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/chefs/bryn-williams
Morgan M, Barbican (closed)
https://www.hot-dinners.com/Restaurant-Reviews/The-City/morgan-m-barbican-long-lane-london
The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal
https://thefatduck.co.uk/
The Nag’s Head, Walthamstow
Martin Berasategui
https://www.martinberasategui.com/en/inicio
Les Hautes Roches
http://www.leshautesroches.com/les-restaurants
Miscellaneous mentions:
Lululemon ABC Pant
https://shop.lululemon.com/p/mens-trousers/Abc-Slim-5-Pocket-34/_/prod9090037?awc=30347_1703095823_fd251ad0c03b681c56b0717d2469a50b&cid=aff_con&color=0001&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=78888&sz=32
The French Connection
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067116/
