Justin Gellatly

“With Justin the force is strong and the crumb is good”

-Fergus Henderson

 

j

 

Baking has always been part of my life. My mother used to bake bread most days when we were children, and even at my first job at Crowthers, a family-run restaurant in East Sheen, London, where my first job was washing dishes, I would help to bake the bread until I moved on to do cooking and pastry.

I met my wife, Louise, when I was sixteen and heading to Hounslow catering college. We were in the same class, and one of the many reasons we are still happy together after twenty-four years, is that we both understand the demands of a life as a chef or baker.

After Crowthers I worked in many other restaurants: in Cheshire at the Rookery Hall, in Maine, USA where I cooked up a storm on Little Cranberry Island, and at The Green House in Mayfair London to name but a few.

But it was only when I joined Fergus Henderson at St John Restaurant that I really fell in love with baking. Even in my early days as a chef, I always liked cooking ‘nose to tail’, so when an opportunity came along to work at St John I dived in. Those were the most amazing thirteen years: I found my calling in pastry and baking in the first few months.

One of the turning points was when I did my first bake at St John. The bread and the crackling of the crust just didn’t stop singing to me. I hung up my chef’s apron and put on a baker’s, and never looked back.

I owe Fergus Henderson and his partner and co-founder of St John, Trevor Gulliver, so much. There were many joyous occasions at St John, but one of my proudest was receiving our first Michelin star when I was Head Baker and Pastry Chef.

Also I was very proud to bake the bread for William and Kate royal wedding in 2011

http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/culture-news/going-out/food-in-fashion-breaking-bread-with-the-royal-baker