A Private Chef
by Will Cooper
I’m a Chef and writer working for a UHNW family on their organic farm, deep in the rural English countryside.
I write here weekly sharing the day-to-day, from a side of the industry that isn’t often written about. I share my thoughts recipes, techniques and strange tales of times in top-flight professional kitchens. There are recipes that I share here that are different and will embolden you as a cook. They reflect my quiet approach to my work, are natural, seasonal and look pretty.
I’ve well over two decades of experience as a Chef from multi Michelin stars to boutique restaurants in central London. I have been a Head Chef for over fifteen years, though slightly frazzled from near burnout if I’m honest, I walked away from that world and now work quietly creating my ingredients from scratch, keeping bees and making cheese amongst other things. Here we grow most of our vegetables in our beautiful kitchen garden, we forage for ingredients, make apple cider vinegar from our heritage orchards and look after rare breed animals that are kept as pets. If you know me from my Instagram then you’ll be familiar with what I do. If not, then read on.
My work follows the seasons of the year very closely, I adopt a very natural, ingredient-led approach to food, paying close attention to the rhythms of nature. I like to cook simple food using the very best ingredients, inspired by both old-fashioned ways and thoroughly modern techniques. I cook food that with a little encouragement you can easily replicate in your home for your people.
I write about my life as a Chef, both in the heady past of Michelin-starred madness, and the here and now. I’ll tell you about seasonality, ingredients, foraging and what I believe to be the importance of eating according to nature’s calendar. I focus on food topics that I’m currently busy with or opinionated about. I want to give you my recipes and techniques, ideas for simple vegetables that come from our gardens, share my skills for curing, vinegar making, sourdough, fermentation, charcuterie smoking fish and the like. I’ll also tell you about the bees I look after, show you pictures of my beautiful miniature dachshund and probably tell you what I had for lunch if you’re interested.
If you subscribe for FREE, then you’ll receive two full newsletters every month written just for you. There’s usually a recipe for something different.
If you choose the PAID subscription (less than the price of a sandwich), then along with the free content, you’ll also receive two exclusive newsletters every month, usually with another recipe or technique. You’ll have access to my full archive, and ad-hoc extra content including exclusive recipes, Q&A, and skill sharing.
Thank you for being here with me.
William
If you like, you can send me an email at william@willcooperchef.com