April Bloomfield

“France was always a little scary to me. I had the preconception that France was a bit hoity-toity.”

“I can't be everywhere, but I'm always in one of my kitchens, and hopefully I'm motivating and inspiring.”

“I have this obsession with pea pods. They're just really nice to look at. They can be perfect.”

“Food's delicate. You have to handle it with finesse. You can't just be a big ogre.”

“I love to roast vegetables - carrots, fennel, and so on. I also love to mash or puree pretty much any vegetable!”

“I don't like glossy covers.”

“I don't think of being a woman in an industry of men. I didn't walk into the kitchen and go, 'Ooh, I'm a girl!' I didn't get into my chosen profession. I wanted to be good at something.”

“Always look for the best ingredients, treat the food you cook with respect, always read the entire recipe first, be organized, and have fun.”

“I'm not the type of person to eat big hunks of meat. I think people are starting to realize that great things come in small batches.”

“I'm a sucker for a packet of biscuits. I can eat a whole pack in 10 minutes.”

“I started in the kitchen of a Holiday Inn in Birmingham. I wanted to be a sponge, wanted to learn and progress. I knew I didn't want to work in a hotel forever, but I had some good teachers there.”

“I like cooking the biggest steaks. It cooks nice and evenly when it's that thick, and you're not eating the whole thing yourself, which is nice. You get to share that with a companion.”

“I love the smell of frying liver. It kind of releases a sweetness into the air, and it kind of prickles your nose, and it kind of makes you awake... it gets me excited.”

“My two sisters were always cooking. I wanted to be in the police force, but I didn't get in because I just so happened to procrastinate a bit, and I hadn't gotten my application in at the right time.”

“I still worry that I could be better. That's where standards come from, from not wanting to settle. The fear of not being good enough propels you.”

“I adore pigs, and I love eating them and cooking them, and I love using the whole animal.”

“All chefs have pictures of food in their phones, stuffed pig's ears and pigs' heads and the like.”

“There is something about someone making a fantastic sandwich, taking care to spread lots of mayo all the way to the edges. Making sure every bite has a bit of everything in it. There's something special about that.”

“People with chile peppers on their chef pants shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen.”

“My mom wasn't so much such a great cook. But I don't know, I think I have a very strong mother, and it's funny, because both of my sisters - I have two sisters, and I'm the baby, but they all work hard. I'm not sure where I get it from, and I'm not sure where they get it from, but they must get it from somewhere... I like to work.”