Providing a unique take on life, sex and the male-dominated restaurant industry via her growing Instagram channel, Slutty Cheff is an anonymous chef working in London, who tells it as she sees it. With her tone of voice already being compared to Anthony Bourdain, we caught up with her to discuss her career food, the industry, her first book TART and what the future holds.

What are your first memories of food?

When I was about 4, it was my brother’s 8th birthday, and my dad bought a whole fish. I remember being mesmerised. My dad cooked it for lunch and in some kind of attempt to impress my family, I ate the eyeball of the fish.

Were you always adventurous?

I come from a very greedy family, so I was never a fussy eater or overawed by food. When I was on the beach with my dad when I was younger, we found a sand worm. I insisted on us taking it back to the house to cook. My dad indulged me, and we took it back, fried it up and ate it with a bit of salt, pepper and lemon.

Can you remember a few of the first dishes you cooked?

All my stories seem to have my dad in them because he was the greediest of them all. When I was about 10 or 12, marmite had a sticker on the jar with a recipe for a 20-ingredient sandwich. I remember making that sandwich. I wasn’t baking or cooking anything extravagant. I was more into the weird and wonderful.

How did the book come about, is it true publishers were bidding for it?

Yes, it was mental. I had no experience or introduction to what it would be like. I ended up getting 11 bids. It began when a girl followed me on Instagram, who worked for a literary agent. She showed one of my posts to her boss and they invited me in and asked if I wanted to write a book. I was pretty gobsmacked and didn’t really know if I could do it. I hadn’t done any writing, apart from A-level essays, a few short magazine articles and the Instagram posts. It was a crazy experience but a lot of fun because it was something I was very interested in. I wrote about half of it while I was still working in kitchens and then it got a bit difficult with deadlines, so I had to take a bit of time out to complete it.

Tell us about the book?

The book is a story of my first day in a kitchen and the journey to being a female chef, living in London and figuring out what and who you want to do. It’s pretty graphic and smutty I guess but that’s a lot of what 20-year-olds are consumed by.

Anthony Bourdain has been thrown out there as a comparison – are you happy with that?

Absolutely. A few people said to me ‘is it not a bittersweet thing because he was a male chef and writer?’ I don’t have an association with that. I love his writing and irrespective of the stories and kitchen aspect, I love his tone of voice. To be compared even slightly to him is amazing.

Are there more books to come?

I would love to write another book, but I am also adapting the book for TV. I’m working on that now and it’s another really exciting journey and a completely new format to book writing. It’s very stimulating.

What’s the overall goal?

I just have no idea. Something crazy seems to happen every day so I’ve given up trying to plan. I know I will never ever truly leave hospitality. I will always be involved somehow – I just love it. My boyfriend’s a chef and we have a dream of one day opening somewhere together but I’m loving what I am doing right now so to answer your question again – I have no idea.

What made you start the Instagram page?

There was no thought of using it to campaign or shout out my grievances. It was completely out of boredom and for fun. It was also a good way to get into cooking and I have always attached storytelling and cookery together. Cooking is storytelling with food and ingredients. I don’t know why I chose the name.

Who’s the most underrated chef you know?

There are so many amazing chefs who no one will ever know because many of them are silent people who have no attachment to pop culture and Instagram. I went to Levan and Ed Wilson was cooking and that was probably the best meal I have had this year. Abby Lee from Mambow is also incredible.

Has hospitality and a career in the kitchen improved for women?

I think questions about hospitality culture and women are difficult as it’s very dependent on the restaurant or business. I’m not sure the actual day-to-day experience has changed massively yet, but it’s become a bigger topic of conversation and awareness of the issues are rising. Hopefully there will be a knock-on effect in the next decade.
I can’t see a world where a job in a restaurant kitchen is the same as working in an office or supermarket. You can’t afford to have a cushy time when you’re in a fast-paced kitchen. Being more inclusive, whether it’s race, gender or class – that should be moving forward.

If you were on a desert island – what five ingredients would you take with you?

  • Rice
  • Garlic
  • Chilli
  • Chocolate
  • Crisps

What is your guilty food pleasure?

Meal deals. It’s ridiculous really as I’m a trained chef. Supermarket meal deals. I’m so into them. Plain ham and cheese sandwich, salt and vinegar crisps and a drink. It’s a guilty pleasure because I have so many cookbooks, a full fridge and I’m a chef.

Favourite pub in the UK?

This changes all the time but for now it’s The Eagle in Farringdon. Nice food, lovely atmosphere and the toilet locks don’t scare me. I’m claustrophobic.

The last restaurant you ate at?

I went to Top Class last week and that was great.

You’re on death row and you can either have sex or eat a last meal – what’s it to be?

Probably sex. I don’t think I would have much of an appetite for food. I’m guessing sex would be a good distraction from my impending doom.

Best advice you were given?

One foot in front of the other.