News
Introducing our head chef Pranav
We’d love to introduce you to our Head Chef for The Murray Arms, Pranav Redker. Pranav joined Laggan in 2021 working at our restaurant Gather. With years of experience and a wonderful work ethic, it was an easy decision to promote Pranav to Head Chef at our new restaurant here at The Murray Arms.
Since gaining his Post Graduate degree in Culinary Arts in 2012 and working in high end kitchen’s around the world, we wanted to share a deep dive Q&A session with Pranav so you can get to know him better.
Pranav, what initially sparked your interest in cooking?
I was inspired by my late Grandmother & mothers cooking. I was the only child in my family so I was encouraged to help out in the kitchen often from a young age. Seeing my Grandmother and mother picking ingredients, preparing food and creating delicious meals really sparked my interest in cooking and help create many happy memories for me.
When did you initially join the laggan team?
I first joined Laggan in December 2021 working as Sous chef for Gather. I remember it being a cold winters day but being excited by the opportunities that lay in front of me and the whole team here.
Could you share a bit about your culinary journey and how it led you to your current position.
Sure! I first started off in 2007 studying hospitality management at college in Goa, India. From here I went on to study Culinary Arts at a Post Graduate level between 2012-13. During this time I also worked in various hospitality roles and took part in management training. I’m proud to say that I worked all the way up to the highest position in India, Chef de Cuisine.
Throughout my journey I’ve been lucky enough to work for high end hospitality brands such as the Radisson, Hyatt & Taj hotel groups, all of which added to the experience I have brought with me to Laggan.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I would describe my cooking style as modern contemporary, cuisine influenced by Europe, Asian & Regional Indian.
Are there particular flavours, techniques or ingredients you love to incorporate into your dishes?
I love all flavour profiles but umami would be my favourites. Umami is a delicious, savoury experience that deepens the flavour of foods and invigorates your palate. French and Asian cooking techniques are dear to my heart also and I love to use local sea-food such as scallops & mussels when cooking.
What drives your creativity in the kitchen?
I find inspiration daily from various sources. I love to read and I keep a close eye on global hospitality trends. But one of the biggest inspirations to me is local produce.
What are your thoughts on balancing innovation with meeting customer preferences?
Customer preferences are always key when working on new dishes or creating menus, however if chefs didn’t push boundaries or try new things then we wouldn’t be doing our job. Innovation in the kitchen is vital for creating beautiful dishes and dining experiences so we take pride in always moving forward with our offerings here.
Any particular dish or menu change that you’re particularly proud of or excited about?
Yes! I created a Prawn Saganaki for a Greek night that we were hosting at Gather. It’s a well-balanced plate with vibrant colours and a delicious harmony of flavours. Our customers loved it so much that it was added to Gather’s fulltime menu. I’m extremely proud of that.
How do you choose the ingredients you work with?
My first choice for choosing ingredients would always be fresh and local produce. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, I don’t think you can beat this.
Thoughts on the importance of sourcing sustainable or organic produce?
Just like choosing local, I think sourcing sustainable or organic produce where possible is highly important. Not only does it excel in food quality but it enhances the personal nutritional benefits for guests while keeping our carbon footprint for food at its lowest.
What is your approach to leading a kitchen team?
I think the most important aspects of leading any team comes down to three things: team work, mutual respect and leading by example.
What culinary trends do you foresee emerging in the next culinary year?
I think the plant based movement will continue on an upward trajectory as well as innovations in wellness & selfcare based food habits.
As 2023 became the International Year of the Millet I think there will be an increase in creative a delicious millet based dishes, especially in a bid to make food production more sustainable.
Personally I’d like to see chefs getting more creative with the age-old tradition of dry curing meats with salt. And I think charcuterie boards will continue to be a big hit. Also, wouldn’t it be cool if AI could be used to generated personalised good food habits to serve your personal dietary needs?!
Any advice for home cooks who want to elevate their culinary skills?
Absolutely! My best advice would be:
- Refer to good sources of information for cooking i.e. books or online videos
- Practice & perfect your dishes until you are satisfied
- Cook with lots of love & consider it as therapy.
Could you share a memorable dish you’ve created or a dining experience that stands out to you?
I can share both! A memorable dish for me at Gather would be ‘Haggis kofta curry’. We put this on as a weekend special and it was so well received. Customers raved about it so much, it was wonderful.
And my favourite dining experience would be the ‘Greek Food’ night at Gather. This was a fantastic evening with everything working so well together. The menu was creative, fun and delicious, the staff all worked so wonderfully together and most importantly, our customers had a fantastic time. It went so well that we’re running another Greek Night again in June. You can find out more about it and book your space here!
Any personal favorite dish or cuisine that you enjoy preparing or eating?
My favourite dish to eat would be my mother’s home cooked Goan Fish Thali, it consists of multiple sea-food items put together.
Steamed local rice, silver bait curry, fried prawns & mackerel, clams or crabs dry roasted, dried fish salad, fish pickle & a traditional Indian digestive drink to finish.
Are there any future projects or culinary aspirations you’re looking forward to pursuing?
Yes, I’m living one right now! I’m thrilled to have been promoted to Head Chef at our new restaurant! We’re opening 4 new dining spaces here at The Murray Arms on the 15th May 2024. It has always been my dream to head up my own kitchen team so I’m absolutely delighted to have been given this opportunity with Laggan.
Also we are all extremely excited to be actively participating in planning for an upcoming organic garden here at Laggan. Growing our own produce has been a dream here for years so it’s amazing to finally be putting plans in place for this next Laggan adventure.
A huge thank you to our Hear Chef Pranav
Thank you so much for reading our Q&A session with our Head Chef Pranav. We can’t wait to open the doors to our newly refurbished dining spaces and welcome you in! For more information about our Laggan restaurants, click the buttons below.
