“I want them to feel excited about what they’re eating”

“I still have recipes in my head from when I worked in five star hotels,” admits LWC’s Head Chef, Adrian Culver.

 

With a career spanning 35 years, that must require a lot of headspace. “I do also write them down in books,” he smiles, nodding towards a pile of paper at his side. “They’re pretty well-thumbed by now.”

 

Adrian’s recipe books are as varied and impressive as the kitchens he’s found himself in.

 

“I spent six years working in London at places like 190 Queen’s Gate, under Anthony-Worrall Thompson,” he explains. “I moved restaurants with him to Dell Ugo on Frith Street in Soho. It was high-volume, fast-paced, 20 chefs in the kitchen and 800 covers a day. It was all a great education and I was in charge of the kitchen there at the age of 23/24.”

 

There’s no doubt that the man in charge of feeding up to a thousand LWC students and staff knows a thing or two about food. Whilst the fine dining experience offered at the likes of The Berkeley in Knightsbridge may seem on a different culinary wavelength to the albeit impressive food offering at LWC, Adrian is keen to point out the similarities.

 

“It’s like a hotel here,” he offers. “You’ve still got your six services. You’ve got breakfast, snack, a coffee shop, sports, lunch, supper time and extra functions to cater for as well. There’s a lot going on all the time. You’re not only cooking lunch for 700 students. There’s a lot more to it than that.”

 

The clientele may have changed, but Adrian is just as customer-focused as he’s always been. “I want the students to be excited about what they’re eating,” he enthuses. “They should feel contented and fuelled up. I love the engagement I have with them here. Knowing that you’re feeding the whole school and a generation that’s going to go on and thrive is great. Everyone here is committed to that.”

 

“There’s a lot of freedom here to write our own menus, to engage with the students and to feel part of the team. The campus is very tranquil and there’s so much talent in the kitchen. They’re unsung heroes if you like, because you never see them, but they’re busy beavering away morning, noon and night”

— Adrian Culver, Head Chef

 

Adrian’s team of nine chefs and assistants in the LWC kitchen has been working hard at evolving the menu since his arrival just before the end of the last academic year. “We want to use as much seasonal produce as possible,” he admits. “We also want to source as much as we can locally. Students should look forward to lunchtime or breakfast. For boarders, this is their home from home. So they need comfort, a bit of TLC and some excitement as well. We’re developing this all the time with our Saturday Night Fakeaways. In the evenings, we’re trying some street food-style dishes from different continents and for our international students, we can focus on their home countries. We get feedback by meeting with students in Houses and if something doesn’t work, we’ll change it.”

 

But for fans of old LWC favourites, fear not. “I know from previous experience, you should never try and remove the Katsu Chicken Curry from the menu,” Adrian grins. “It’s such a firm favourite.”

 

Despite the early part of his career being spent in the Michelin-starred backdrop of the capital, Adrian has a wealth of expertise when it comes to feeding students. Having set up his own catering business and won awards for his work at The Phoenix Inn at Hartley Wintney, he found himself heading up the operation of outside caterers at Winchester College, before moving to Bedford School and latterly King Edward’s Witley.

 

He’s clear about why he decided to make the leap into the 1200 though. “I think the reputation appealed,” he admits. “There’s also a lot of freedom here to write our own menus, to engage with the students and to feel part of the team. The campus is very tranquil and there’s so much talent in the kitchen. They’re unsung heroes if you like, because you never see them, but they’re busy beavering away morning, noon and night.”

 

But after nearly four decades in kitchens, has Adrian grown tired of cooking? The role of a head chef often results in swapping chopping boards for computer keyboards, which can mean no longer being on the front line.

 

“I really enjoy it,” he’s quick to answer. “An independent school arena means that you have the time to cook, as well as mentoring and writing menus. I love to cook fish in particular. It’s so delicate and the flavour speaks for itself. Also, I love to create desserts. Charlotte, our pastry chef is amazing. We made macarons together at the end of last year. We tried different flavours – chocolate and orange, trillionaire (with gold) and elderflower mousse with strawberry. She smashed it.”

 

Expect to see the macarons popping up on the LWC menu in the coming months, no doubt along with a few other classics from Adrian’s well-thumbed repertoire.

 

But the Katsu Curry stays where it is.