Do you have what it takes to be a successful chef? Here, we talk to Louisa Ellis, business owner, previous MasterChef: The Professionals winner, and former chef at multiple multi-Michelin starred establishments. Louisa takes us through her journey and shares her advice about getting started in the industry.
Louisa is now self-employed as a private chef in Nottingham but began her career more than 10 years ago when she completed her Level 2 in Professional Cookery at Barnfield College after finishing school.
Louisa mused: “I knew from the age of 16 that I wanted to become a chef and as soon as I completed my Level 2 qualification, I went straight into full time work. The Level 3 wasn’t even on my radar until the opportunity came up with HIT Training to complete it as an apprenticeship alongside my work. It absolutely opened my mind to other opportunities and if I had my time again, I would have done all of my training as an apprenticeship as you get the best real-life insight into how restaurants work.”
Apprenticeships are a hands-on approach to learning and are invaluable to many who learn better in this type of environment. Reflecting on her early career and getting started Louisa added: “For me, I was never going to go down an academic route, and an apprenticeship really suited my learning style. It was the best thing I could have done as I built so much confidence and it showed me I could do something that I never thought I could. Through my apprenticeship I improved so much as a chef, but also as a manager running a kitchen. These skills are invaluable to me now as a business owner.”
Louisa fell in love with the world of fine dining when she joined Michelin Star Adam’s Restaurant in Birmingham. She said: “Fine dining really appealed to my creative side, I didn’t want to do the same thing every day, I thrive pushing boundaries but also love precision, especially with plating, which is a huge part of fine dining. The flavours you come across can be mind-blowing and as a young chef, that was really exciting. Michelin kitchens are really disciplined, the hours are strenuous but rewarding, you learn an incredible amount in such a short time.”
After her stint at Adam’s Restaurant in Birmingham Louisa joined The Wilderness, which is also in Birmingham. It was here that she signed up for MasterChef and her career took on a whole new trajectory.
Louisa commented: “I was 22 when I first entered MasterChef and made it to the final three. I then spent a lot of time learning about myself as a chef and developing my skill set. Three years later I was invited back and at age 25 I finally won MasterChef and it felt like everything had come together. I was in a better position as I had begun working for myself at this point and was used to being in touch with my creative side and handling pressure by myself.”
Many of us have experienced feelings of imposter syndrome or have worried about our career paths. For Louisa, it was no different, she added:
“Some kitchens are still very male dominated and that can be a tough environment to work in as a young woman. I used to be quite shy and cared what others thought about me as a chef. Completing MasterChef the first time gave me the confidence to know my worth as a chef and that gave me the fire I needed to embark on a solo career outside of the restaurant setting.”
Louisa set up her thriving private dining business 5 years ago and learnt first-hand the importance of adaptability when the pandemic struck. She said: “The pandemic hit in my first few years of being self-employed and I had to restructure my entire business. This is when my ‘Heat at Home’ idea came into play and ended up benefitting the business a lot. This experience taught me to always expect the unexpected, take things in your stride and be as organised as you possibly can be. Being self-employed means a lot more responsibility but I also have control over my creativity, which I love.”
Are you at the start of your journey and starting to think how you can carve out your niche in the industry? Louisa shares her advice: “At the start of your journey you need to figure out what direction you want to go and then get as much experience as you can in that area. If your first experience isn’t positive, don’t let it dissuade you from the profession, supportive kitchens do exist out there! I encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone as much as you can, soak up everything, research and know that practice makes perfect.”
She continued: “Where you can, approach businesses to get experience. After you get your first job, you start to build up a reputation, but you need to be ready to leave your ego at the door and always be receptive to notes and know that you don’t know everything. Be humble, learn as much as you can, and it will happen.”
So, what is next for Louisa Ellis?
“I never wanted a restaurant and so me and my team have moved into a new venue that is a converted church in Nottingham. We will be using this space as a pop-up venue for my private dining experiences and the plan is to invite other chefs in for collaborations. It’s very exciting and I am eager to make Nottingham a destination for fantastic culinary experiences. I am also planning on hiring an apprentice of my own as I have seen first-hand how valuable the experience is and I want to give that back to someone.”
Leaving us with her concluding thoughts, Louisa added: “To any aspiring chefs out there, take that step out of your comfort zone and you’ll notice the benefits that come with it. Breaking boundaries becomes easier every time and it will bring the best out in you. I’m just a girl from Luton who went to a local college who never thought I was clued up enough, but you learn on the job and if you say yes to every opportunity, who knows where it will take you.”
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