Andrew Fairlie Scholarship 2022
Meet the Finalists - Sean Currie
Sean Currie, Head Chef, iasg at Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel
Where are you originally from?
I was born and bred in a small mining village in East Ayrshire, a little place called Auchinleck. In 2016 I met my now wife and we decided to buy a house and settle down in Kilmarnock.
What inspired you to apply for the scholarship?
As the Head Chef of iasg located within the only 5-star AA accredited hotel in Glasgow I joined the team as part of the re-concept project to launch the hotel’s destination restaurant. Within the first week of the launch, we were awarded one AA Rosette for culinary excellence. I applied for this scholarship as I believe it will help me on my journey to further career development and progression. This will give me the opportunity to challenge myself and take me out of my comfort zone.
Can you give us a brief description of your career to date?
I started my culinary career at the age of 17 working in a small hotel within the local village in which I grew up. I quickly realised I had a passion for food and wanted to pursue a career in cooking so I enrolled in Ayr College to undertake professional cookery. After 7 years of working within the hotel, I moved to a restaurant within Kilmarnock called the Long House. In 2011 I was given the opportunity to work in the Scran and Scallie in Edinburgh under Tom Kitchen. In 2012 I was promoted to Castle Terrace a 1 Michelin Star fine dining restaurant within the group, it was during my time here that I feel I really honed my culinary skills. In 2013 I moved back to Glasgow for a further promotion to CDP, within a few months at the Blythswood Square hotel I was promoted to Junior Sous. Withing 2 years I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity of my first Head Chef position at Number 16, a causal fine dining restaurant. During my 6 years there I obtained and maintained 2 AA Rosettes as well as a Michelin Plate. In 2021 I returned back to Kimpton Blythswood as part of the re-concept project for the launch of the new sustainable Scottish fish and seafood restaurant isag.
What does it mean to you to have been shortlisted for the finals of the scholarship?
I couldn’t believe it when the email came through as I knew the competition would be fierce. I think it is a fantastic achievement to get through to the finals and to be shortlisted for the scholarship. I have been practicing my dish and can’t wait to show you what I can do on the day.
Have you always wanted to be a chef? What made you choose this career?
When I was given the opportunity at 17 to join the kitchen team within the hotel in my local village I knew very quickly that this was a career for me and couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
What do you love about working as a chef?
I love the atmosphere of the kitchen, the passion and determination of my team when we are trying to deliver during a busy service. I enjoy the versatility of the kitchen and that no 2 days are the same. I feel that being a chef allows me to be creative with the menus I design and the dishes we produce. The opportunities and exposure I have had to work in a number of kitchens throughout my career using a variety of local produce and ingredients has only furthered my passion and love of cooking.
What is your favourite Scottish ingredient to work with? And why?
This is a tricky one as Scotland produces so much amazing and fantastic produce but if I had to choose I would say seafood. There are so many different types of seafood to choose from, this enables me to select from such a vast world of produce when creating dishes and selecting ingredients. Learning how to preserve the species in our waters at levels that allow for a sustainable population of the fish and seafood we enjoy has made me more creative than ever. I particularly like working with shellfish, lobsters and crabs for example require skill and knowledge during preparation as well as cooking. However, if you get it right, shellfish can be such a versatile ingredient that can be used in so many dishes in so many different ways.