Sam’s culinary journey began in childhood, surrounded by food-loving influences in his Wokingham family home. With French maternal grandparents who maintained a kitchen garden and a grandmother who cooked from dawn to dusk, plus paternal relatives including a baker, chef, and pub landlord, Sam’s passion for food was practically inevitable.

His professional path started as a kitchen porter at his uncle’s pub, where a Christmas snowstorm changed everything. Stranded for nearly a week, he helped with vegetable prep and salad-making – and fell in love with cooking. 

Sam’s culinary philosophy centres on creating simply delicious food without pretension. He finds true satisfaction in witnessing guests’ delight at first taste.