She honed her skills as a Gordon Ramsay protégée and now Michelin-starred chef and author Angela Hartnett has an illustrious career all her own, awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry, a Michelin star for Murano, her Italian restaurant in Mayfair, and launching her latest venture, Cucina Angelina at Le Portetta hotel in Courchevel.
You grew up in England – would you say that culinary heritage influenced your career?
I would say it was the ingredients more than heritage. I was lucky to have an Italian-Irish background so that was a bigger influence. I always liked cooking as a child and always helped my mum make dinner and cook cakes whenever I could.
You seem to be so busy these days with Lime Wood cookery school and and Cucina Angelina, which opened in December of last year. What are the biggest challenges in your career?
I’m really not sure, as I enjoy it so much! It’s only food; I think it is important to keep a perspective on our industry as chefs are made to be gods these days.
Do you believe the definition of fine dining has changed since you began working in restaurants?
If I’m honest I think it’s such nonsense. It annoys me when chefs and restaurants get pigeonholed. It is more about hospitality and giving your customers a fabulous experience from the food, the service and the environment.
Where have you travelled to recently, and what destinations are on your bucket list?
I really loved Japan when I went years ago but more recently I loved visiting Sweden and South Africa. I love Europe, in particular Spain, France and obviously Italy. I do spend a lot of time in New York as well, which I love. It’s great to eat out and see and experience different cuisines as much as possible. My bucket-list destinations are Chile, Morocco and northern India.
How do you define luxury?
For me luxury is time, just trying to work out how to have enough of it. Time is a luxury that I think we all take for granted.
