Andy Josiah Head Chef of Spyglass
taken from Folio May 2003

When did you realise that you first wanted to be a chef? And what did you do to get into the profession?

When I was quite young. Both of my parents were keen cooks. I used to help my mother bake what seemed like an endless amount of cakes & pastries & my father was into serving up quirky food like green mashed potato & alphabet chips (before they were available in any supermarkets). My first step into the profession was in 1989 when I joined the Army Catering Corps where I learnt the basics of being a chef.

What inspires you in the kitchen?

Cooking with fresh, quality ingredients.

Have you had to adapt your style of cooking to fit with Spyglass?

Not really, I think I am very adaptable having worked in different styles of restaurants ranging from formal a la carte to steak house.

How does working in a galley differ from working in a standard restaurant kitchen?

To be honest there is not a great deal of difference because we have the same equipment as any other restaurant kitchen. You have to get used to the boat moving from time to time but we do have some great views from the kitchen of the floating harbour.

Spyglass is a seasonal restaurant, what will you be doing at the end of the season?

Well the first thing I will do is take a two week holiday & just relax (& recover) & then I will be placed at one of the company’s sister restaurants the Glass Boat or Byzantium for the winter months.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Being appointed head chef of Spyglass.

Do you have a particular favourite dish to cook & why?

I don’t really have a favourite dish but I love cooking & eating fish.

After the rise in popularity of cookery on television, could you see yourself swapping the kitchen for a studio?

If I could get the same enjoyment out of it then why not.

Are there any individuals who you look up to within the culinary world?

The person I admire the most is Vincent Castellano who is head chef at Byzantium & is a consultant at Spyglass. I first worked with Vincent in 1996 when I worked for him at Genepi Restaurant & the majority of what I know now I have learnt from him. I therefore jumped at the opportunity to work with him again.

What are your passions away from work?

When I do get time off I am generally quite impulsive. So I will usually decide on the day & might visit family of just disappear for the day.