With restaurants in the UK, Istanbul and Hong Kong, what made you choose Dubai for the location of your newest concept?

Since one of the first British chefs, Gary Rhodes, came to Dubai a number of years ago, a lot more chefs have arrived from across the world, and over this time the quality of produce being grown and flown in has definitely improved and become a lot more consistent. With that, I think the people who are now coming to Dubai are expecting a much better quality of food and service. So all of that has resulted in a high calibre of chefs and concepts, making Dubai a really exciting place to come and not only have – obviously a holiday – but also to eat in terms of different restaurants and concepts.

You say Pots, Pans & Boards is inspired by home-cooking nostalgia. Can you share some of that nostalgia with us?

I grew up in the Norfolk countryside and my mother was a very good home cook as well as keen on teaching us how to prepare food at an early age. We did a lot of growing our own vegetables, and we prepared and cooked them, and it was very much simple family meals that we all would create together. And she preferred cooking everything in one pot, reasoning that if everything was cooked together it’s going to taste a lot nicer than having it in separate pots, so everything – be it chicken, or beef, or lamb – was cooked in one pot with vegetables from the garden. So that’s really what I remember from my childhood: cooking things and having it passed around the table in a proper, sit-down family lunch or dinner.

Was this home-cooking atmosphere a part of what inspired you to become a chef?

It started it. I was very lucky to be able to grow vegetables in the garden and get schooled in preparation by my mother. And my father had an importing/exporting business in wine so we spent a lot of family holidays travelling around France with him, going to different vineyards. I guess experiencing my father’s wine business and my mother’s cooking ended up manifesting my eventual career.

Many Michelin-starred chefs work for decades to achieve their first star. When you were awarded your second by the age of 26, how did that affect you?

It definitely added to the pressure. It was a highlight in terms of getting it at a young age and it definitely gave me an impetus in terms of doing more restaurants. The team that I had at that time was really only small and considering the size and what we accomplished, it was an amazing effort from everyone.

With a restaurant in Istanbul, and now one in Dubai, do you see yourself experimenting with Arabic cuisine?

I think the way that I generally work is that I always try to do something that is of the country in terms of cuisine or spices or herbs. I think it’s important to embrace the concoction of different methods and use the local ingredients that are lying about. The restaurant’s customers appreciate that you’re going the extra length to learn the local fare and produce, and as a chef it’s nice to carry on learning about other cuisines.

You’ve done a lot of work creating innovative French fare – what is it about this cuisine that draws you?

I think the main the reason is that I worked, from the age of 18, mainly in French restaurants in London – I would say, at that time, it was the only sort of restaurant that was of a consistent, high standard. And I’ve had this love affair with French cooking and French restaurants, and going to France as well, so I definitely picked up the French style of cooking more than anything else.

What gets your attention when you’re not in the kitchen?

I have two daughters who are one-and-a-half and three-and-a-half so I spend as much time as I can with them. They’re at this fun age of learning a lot, so it’s the most important thing to me. Outside of that, I like to keep myself fit, so I do a lot of running and going to the gym to take my mind away.

Are you hoping that your daughters show an interest in cooking?

The oldest actually is already. She loves nothing better than helping out in the kitchen and she likes making gingerbread men. It’s one of her passions at the moment; she’s got a real bee in her bonnet about it.

Are there any food trends that you are finding particularly exciting at the moment?

I think the biggest movement in dining is the casual, informal side, which is what Pots, Pans & Boards is all about. In Dubai, I think that restaurants are very much geared towards the mid-to-high-end and my new concept is focused on being a casual family place in terms of dining out. I think that’s going to be the biggest sort of growth in the restaurant market, for sure.

Where is your favourite foodie destination?

I’ve been in London since I was 18 and I think it’s the foodie capital of the world. Although I live there, I still find it an exciting city in terms of the food that’s available, from fast food to casual to fine dining. And the length and breadth of the cuisines on offer – Chinese to Japanese to Indian to Korean, you name it, it’s there. I think it has the most diverse mix of food; I don’t think that there’s any other city that can beat it. But I love going to other cities and enjoying their own local cuisines – Hong Kong is an outstanding place to go and eat out but it’s all about trying really local cooking. I’ve had some exceptional meals there – very simple, local food.

As we speak you’ve just arrived in Provence for a holiday. What are you looking forward to dining on while there?

I very much like going to the local markets and seeing what’s in season – you’ve always got amazing fruits and things, like peaches, nectarines and little plums. They also do very good chickens here, so I will probably do a roast chicken at some point. There’s nothing better than a nice roast chicken at a family get-together.