CHEF INTERVIEW: Mark Pattison, Hotel Seattle, Brighton Marina

Meet Mark Pattison

Mark Pattison, Hotel Seattle, Restaurant & Bar Head Chef.

Hotel Seattle, Restaurant & Bar Head Chef

Mark Pattison is a local Chef who has 31 years experience working in some the largest and most respected venues within Sussex, including being Head Chef at the prestigious Grand Hotel.

Mark is Passionate about not only the food but also the customer experience.

First role after school?

When Mark left school he thought he was going to be a car mechanic as he liked to work on restoring cars in his spare time.

At that time Mark worked in a privately owned hotel in Patcham, The Black Lion and helped at weekends washing up observing the kitchen environment.

Hotel Seattle Restaurant and Bar, Brighton Marina

Training and Experience

Slowly Mark became keen on what was happening within the kitchen was moved to help in the service side of things when it was busy.

From this point he realised this is what he wanted to do and he’d caught the buzz, so Mark started his training and basic knowledge learning from the classically trained team there.

Mark learned from a classically trained team

Where were you trained?

Mark started his training at Brighton College of technology in Pelham Street, of which he qualified in all his exams within 3 years.

Colourful and seasonally inspired dishes – The Seattle Hotel and restaurant menu

From here Mark commenced employment at the De Vere Grand Hotel in Brighton. Working with a team of experienced Chef’s Mark had the fortune of working in all areas of the kitchen and worked his way up through the ranks eventually making it to the great achievement of Head Chef.

Although, the job involved long hours and dedication Mark would highly recommend anyone given the chance, to work in such an establishment.

From fine dining to banquets for 650 people it really gave Mark the knowledge and experience in all areas and set him up for future hospitality roles..

Best piece of advice you would give a home enthusiast?

The best piece of advise that Mark would give would be to increase your knowledge by reading books.

Experiment, practise and tasting as you cook is essential.

Keep it simple but use fresh ingredients where possible to maximise the flavour and experience.

Preparation is the key, ensure you have all the required equipment to hand and a clear plan of the meal before you start. It is important you work smart and clean as you go to keep an uncluttered and organised work station.

I would also recommend that if you want to take your cooking to the next level invest in a decent set of knives.