Etrusca Head Chef, Jonathan Lees has got his work cut out. He looks after 3 of the London restaurants which is a pretty demanding job. Perhaps we should be asking him “Why do you do it?” rather than “What do you do all day.” 

“Well, I do it because it’s what I do, same as any job, you just get used to it. Some weeks are harder than others, but anyone working in this industry doesn’t expect an easy ride. There’s no place for light weights in a kitchen.

Overseeing 3 of Etrusca’s restaurants means I need to cover key members of staff while they’re off; that’s why you have to be highly skilled in every section. Recently I covered the bread making at La Paletta - our patisserie which also makes the bread for our restaurants – working all through the night. Then I’d sleep for a few hours before covering a lunch shift at Caravaggio, then on to Artigiano for the evening shift. This isn’t all the time though and I do take a long weekend every month to visit my fiancé in Rome, so I’m not complaining believe me!”

What makes a great chef?

“Well, ideally you should be quite calm, especially when the pressure’s on. But I’m not. I’m a complete hot head, but the staff are used to me. We have an understanding shall we say! More importantly, you need to have great communication skills, whether you say it or scream it, as long as the message is clear and everyone knows what’s expected of them. From a business point of view, you need to be financially and commercially aware as you’ve got to source the right products at the right prices. Cooking’s a passion, you have to have a love and respect for the seasons and enjoy working with the ingredients and produce that reflect them.”

What will you cook for the winner of the “Dinner Party Dazzler” competition?*

“God knows! Depends what kind of things they like to eat. I’ll create a menu from their favourite ingredients and do my best to make it original, without being impossible for them to reproduce, should they want to that is!”

What other passions outside of the kitchen do you have?

“I’m not sure how to answer that! I couldn’t possibly divulge all of them, but keeping it clean……music, heavy stuff! None of this nancy-pancy pop music, good hard rock! Tattoos, (or body art to be politically correct) that’s another major one I suppose.”

How many tattoos do you have?

“16 the last time I counted, but there’s room for more, so we’ll see!”