Thomas Rhodes started his career in the kitchen washing pots aged 15 at a small restaurant in Cheshire. He has since cooked in some of the biggest venues in the UK, including Old Trafford, and now he is the executive head chef at Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby.
He has also spent time at The Fat Duck and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, looking to be inspired ahead of developing his own menus for over 8,500 people on a match day.
We sat down with the talented chef to find out a little more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including your where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
Having trained at a small independent French restaurant called the Yellow Broom, in the heart of Cheshire from the age of fifteen to eighteen, I decided to venture south to expand my knowledge and experience, so I shipped myself off to study hospitality management at Portsmouth University. Whilst living on the south coast I continued to work at the Yellow Broom, travelling back and forth at weekends and non-term time.
After spending three years living in Portsmouth, I moved back to Manchester to work for Manchester United, where I spent six years catering for the directors and their guests. During my time at Manchester United I became responsible for managing the kitchen on many major events including the 2012 Olympics.
I have always believed that you will never stop learning as a chef, so I took the opportunity to train at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, where I spent six weeks unpaid in order to gain more knowledge and understanding of how a three Michelin star kitchen operated and serviced the guests. Later down the line I again furthered my skills and knowledge by working at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for a two week learning experience.
I moved to Twickenham in 2012 working as a chef de partie, where I continued to learn and gain further experience, earning promotions through hard work, to eventually becoming executive head chef in 2016, which is where I am now. My role includes the management of 32 different kitchens on site, all food production and service, overseeing a full-time team of 17. On an international match day we will serve approximately 8,500 covers, all to an extremely high standard.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
Growing up on a farm, my mother and grandmother were constantly cooking and I soon gained a growing passion for food. My passion for cooking continued to grow the older I was getting, and I started taking an interest in restaurants and cookbooks. Aged fifteen I read Marco Pierre White’s autobiography, which pushed my motivation to work hard and become a chef.
How do you go about menu planning? What’s the process from picking the ingredients to getting them fresh into the kitchen and into dishes?
We always start with seasonality calendars and conversations with suppliers, as we like all our dishes to use seasonal and British produce. We then discuss flavour profiles, followed by developing dishes through days/weeks of cooking and experimenting.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
For me it’s got to be about flavour. If the focus is all about the taste, the rest will come together once the flavours are correct.
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
All the time, it can be hard for them not to! I do have to also consider that I am cooking for thousands at Twickenham on a match day, and they may not always want to eat the flavours that I would like too.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I’m sure people would disagree with me but I don’t think I have a particular style. I do like simple looking dishes and I like every element of the dish to speak for itself. Anything I make, I want to be the best and I was always taught if you wouldn’t eat it yourself why would you serve it?
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
I love spring. Wild garlic is my favourite ingredient, there’s so much you can do with it and such strong flavours!
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
I really enjoy cooking roast dinners. Just cooking it all really well, using fresh, local ingredients and making everything tasty and work together.
When are you happiest?
It may sound cliché but when I’m on the stove cooking!
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
A Maryse spatula.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
Either running in training preparation for marathons, eating or out in the countryside with my dog.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Pizza.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
I like to eat out in as many different places, so I couldn’t name one place in particular. Getting out to various restaurants helps me see what the latest trends are and what different places are offering, so I can take inspiration and keep Twickenham’s offering current.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
Currently, butter boards. They are appearing everywhere, but it seems like with most social media food trends it’s style over substance.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
Anything that brings salty and sweet together!!
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
Flavours of local products are generally a lot stronger, more potent and in ultimately tastier. In working with suppliers of local produce we can also really build on those relationships and understand more about the process in which the food we are buying has gone through.
How would you describe the food you create at Twickenham to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
At Twickenham on a match day we have six different hospitality suites, each offering a unique personality and style of menu. From our informal British Airways Rose Garden, which offers an incredible street food style menu with stone baked pizzas and rotisserie chicken, to our most luxurious restaurant, The East Wing, which offers canapes, an amuse bouche and a four course British inspired menu, complemented by fine wines picked by our sommelier.
There really is something for everyone, depending on what sort of atmosphere and menu you prefer.
What do your future plans entail?
I would love to live in the countryside eventually and be self-sufficient in growing my own produce.
Factbox
Address: Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Road, Twickenham TW2 7BA
Website: twickenhamstadium.com
All imagery supplied by Twickenham Stadium
