Full name: Benn Hodges
Role: Head Chef, EatFirst
DOB: June 1985
Birthplace: Brisbane Australia
Twitter: @EatFirstHQ
Website: www.eatfirst.com
Fun Fact: “I eat too fast. I just love food and like to wolf it down, I should savour the flavours more and enjoy the company of my friends!” [Ed: tries not to make a joke about ‘eating first’ here]
So, let’s start at the beginning. Born in Brisbane, raised in Moreton Bay… did you always know that you’d be involved in food and drink?
Actually I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, but working in a café at Uni I fell in love with cooking.
Did you grow up in a ‘foodie’ family or have a revelatory moment where you knew that you’d end up cooking for a living?
My father is an amazing chef, we used to make dumplings for wanton soup together on the weekend. He took me to Japan aged 12 and we tasted some incredible food and that’s when I fell in love with Asian flavours.
Did you cook from a young age?
Yes – all the time, Especially when we came back from that trip!
Is there an Australian style of cooking. If so, are there any Aussie influences in your style?
Australia is a melting pot of cultures and styles, it’s very seasonal we always use what’s in season because it’s SO expensive to buy imported produce being so far away. The climate is super varied and we can grow most things in our country.
…it must have affected you in some way!
We invented the flat white and subsequently adopted a very brunch orientated weekend way of living. I love catching up with friends with a coffee and avo on toast! That’s exactly why I jumped at the chance to create an EatFirst weekend Brunch menu.
How did you come to be involved in EatFirst and what’s the kind of approach that you take when it comes to the menu?
All our meals are designed for delivery. Being an online restaurant brand we have to 100% guarantee that the customers going to get a perfect meal experience every time. To do this we cook then blast chill our meals so all people have to do is simple reheating. To design food for this process we look at flavour profiles – Asian, Italian, Meats, Fishes, Veggies. Then I use my experience from working in restaurants like Roka and The Ivy to produce delicious food that I’d want to eat.
Do you get a lot of free rein? Follow strict briefs?
I work with the whole team to create new items for the menu. We produce surveys to ask customers what types of food they want to order from EatFirst and we design dishes that can be eaten straight away, and dishes that require some heating in the microwave or oven. The focus is on giving people high quality meals that they can quickly prepare and enjoy at a time and place that’s most convenient to them.
Your most and least favourite foods?
Most – Asian dishes featuring anything that’s in season. The fresher the better for me. But my death row meal would be steak tartare.
Least – Anything gloopy and processed.
Most underrated and overrated ingredients?
Underrated – Mackerel – its seen as a poor man’s choice but delicate sashimi is delightful
Overrated – Activated charcoal – I mean ‘really’?
What’s a ‘day in your life’ like? Could you give us an insight into your life?
Wake up 5am. Arrive work 6.30. Check deliveries with team. Brief on kitchen planning for the day. Start cooking. 11am. Espresso and Emails. Meet with marketing and operations to discuss events and rotas. 1415 company meeting – a quick overview from all departments on successes and challenges. 1500. Brief evening chefs for second production shift. 1700 Plan for tomorrow. 1830. Go out for dinner or drinks with friends.
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
Cooking for Paul McCartney
Where do you get your ideas?
From my experiences in the past at work, from my travels around the world and exploring London markets. Inspiration is everywhere.
What’s your philosophy, summed up in a sentence?
“Treat every meal as if it was your last”
Who’s the person who’s most inspired you in your work – food industry or otherwise?
Working on Julian Metcalfe of Itsu and Pret’s team. I’m looking forward to Tuesday Innovation Meetings – planning how we were going make Japanese dishes appeal to the masses.
Do you have any specific culinary influences?
Asian, mainly.
What advice would you give to aspiring professional chefs who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
Never give up. You have to work hard in any job, it’s what make you stronger and teaches you how to work smart.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
I think I’d be a cheese maker. I love a good aged brie or British cheddar.
If you could get anyone to try your foods (fictional or real, living or dead) who would you pick and which of the dishes would you like them to try? Assume that they go on to be your brand ambassador…
Adele. She makes me laugh and I know I’d have a lovely evening with her.
I’d serve my grilled baby chicken which was invented for my trial at EatFirst. It’s our best selling dish with an incredible honey, chilli, miso sauce that I’ve been secretly working on for a few years. Everyone loves it. She’d probably write a song about it.
If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
Spend 6 months designing the ultimate kitchen and have just 12 covers in my restaurant so people got an incredible experience every time with the intimacy of a dinner party every night.
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you could swap lives for the day with any fictional character (and you’d be guaranteed to return to your life after 24 hours), who would you choose, and why?
James Bond. I’d travel a few time zones. Eat some awesome food. Save some lives. And be home in time for a martini.
If you were forced to live on one kind of alcohol for the rest of your life (assume that your metabolism becomes specifically adapted to use this as your sole source of calories, so you had to drink this to survive) – which would you pick, and why?
Wine. It’s so diverse.
You have acquired a pet dragon and are morally obliged to look after it. It is 25 ft tall at the hips, spits fire, eats half a ton of raw meat a day, and likes long walks. What would you call it and what would you do to keep it entertained.
Hugo. I’d keep him entertained by roasting whole sides of meat in a large outdoor kitchen with his fiery breath.