What was your first ever job? I set up my own car valet business, aged 14, in Henley-on-Thames. Apologies if you were a victim - especially the chap with the Rover.

What’s been your worst job interview? Regular Commissions Board for the Army. Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. They still took me, somehow.

What was the first music single you bought? Band On The Run - Paul McCartney and Wings.

How do you describe your job to your mates? They know what I do and my reputation as a complete olive and food bore means they don’t ask me to describe my job.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Comments from people about who we are and what we do and how good it makes them feel.

What is the least rewarding part? Comments from people who don’t like who we are, what we do and how we’ve made them feel when things go wrong. I tend to take it personally.

What is your motto in life? Live more and eat very happily.

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? Magical powers to play any instrument, speak any language and dance like a demon.

Do you have any phobias? Dancing, speaking foreign languages and playing in a band.

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? Marketing messages and copy that is style far in excess of substance.

What luxury would you have on a desert island? An olive tree complete with an olive press and unlimited garlic.

What animal most reflects your personality? A rooster. I’m up early, energetic, eccentric, feisty, competitive and have a tendency to annoy others.

What’s your favourite film and why? In Which We Serve. Noël Coward at his absolute best: hugely patriotic, stirring, moving and has got some of the best lines of dialogue I’ve ever heard.

What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? I seem to have regular moments that could be embarrassing - I choose to ignore them.

Which celebrity would you most like to work with? I would have loved to work with Elizabeth David. Her encyclopaedic knowledge of food would have been wonderful to tap into.

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