Wild parties

I cycle from my home in Blackheath, London, to our kitchen in Southwark. It's an easy ride on the way in as it's all downhill, but going home is harder work. I get in around 7.30am, grab a coffee and check the half-dozen deliveries that come in during the next half-hour.

We make most of our own products, so it's just raw ingredients coming in - fish, vegetables, meat and different bread flours.

My team of six come in around 8am, and I spend 10 minutes briefing them on what needs to be done for the day's events. One of the expectations of the job is how quickly everything can change, and just when you think you're in front, you've got another last-minute booking, or the numbers have doubled.

We do everything from drinks, canapés and private dinners for 12 people to a sit-down banquet for 2,000. I guess 60% of that work is canapés and drinks, and canapés are included in most of the events at some point.

I've been here a year and it's my first experience of working on the contract or outside catering side of the industry. In the past, I've worked at Daphne's and Cantina del Ponto [both in London], so I've brought my restaurant experience with me to the job.

During the morning we prepare for lunchtime functions and by 10am things will be under control, so I'll sit down and think about some bespoke menus for upcoming events. Clients often want the food to fit a theme, be it colour, or one of the elements like earth, wind or fire, to coincide with a product launch. Because we do a fair number of society and high-profile events they usually want fairly cutting-edge food which reflects the latest trends.

All the food goes out by 11am to ensure it arrives on time and can be heated if necessary. We work in some unusual locations like the London Aquarium, the Science Museum and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). Each has its own quirks. The NPG doesn't like foods with strong fish smells, or deep-fried foods, as the smell lingers. It also doesn't allow naked flames (to keep buffet food warm, for example) because of all the pictures. When Mario Testino launched his portrait show there we did the food but unfortunately they dictated what they wanted, so I didn't really get to show what we were capable of.

After 11am we can relax a bit and take stock of what's up next. I usually have some produce sent by a supplier that I want to play with, so for lunch we do tastings in the kitchen and I try them out on the girls who work in the office and take all the bookings.

We get bookings anything from a week in advance to two years - someone recently asked for the menus for 2004. I don't work that far in advance, though. Three or four months is my limit, because I need to work with what produce is available to ensure I meet my gross profit of 78%.

If we've got an evening function, the food and chef leave at 4pm to get to the venue in time for set-up. If there are no functions, the chefs leave at 4.30pm and I'll stay on until 5.30pm to get the ordering done and double-check everything's been switched off.

I work about three nights a week at functions, but when I do get home I prefer to eat out rather than cook. Sometimes my girlfriend and I go to friends for dinner, but often they end up asking me to cook.

We do eat out a lot and I try to keep up with what's hot in the food world because when our clients serve A-list celebrities they often want the latest trends.

Having worked for so long in restaurants I'm a bit of a night owl and don't usually go to bed until 2am. n

Interview by Sara Guild

Just a minute...

What's in your fridge at home?
Organic sausages, dry-cure bacon, home-made sourdough bread, peppers - red and chilli - mouldy mushrooms, out-of-date eggs, half-a-pint of milk, chutney, piccalilli and cheese.

Tell us a secret
I'm a qualified landscape architect, but, just after I qualified the company I was working for went under, so I took a temporary job as a chef and I haven't looked back.

What would your last supper be?
I'm a Yorkshire man so it would have to be roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, although I'd also like some chicken masala.

Table Talk

Friars Court, 17 Rushworth Street, London SE1
Tel: 020 7401 3200
Managing director: Joanna Towler
Executive head chef: Jason Wild
Average spend: £8 per head on canap‚s; £42.50 on three-course dinner
Venues: 30-40 regular venues
Maximum event: 2,000 for sit-down dinner