Young British Foodie: Rachel O'Sullivan, head chef at Spuntino restaurant

Spuntino's head chef tells Victoria Stewart about her culinary journey from Australia to Hackney, why her boss Russell Norman can’t stop thinking about her latest pudding - and why she likes London jam so much
Victoria Stewart17 May 2013

What she does: Having started at Polpo restaurant O'Sullivan moved briefly to Polpetto and finally to Spuntino where she has worked for two and a half years as head chef. There she is responsible for leading a team of chefs and waiters, recipe development and the day-to-day running of the restaurant.

Why she does it: “When I started it really gave me what I missed about dining in Melbourne - that kind of casual, fun, festival sort of dining. I really related to that. A lot of people say Polpo is very New York, but I think it’s also very Melbourne.” She loves shared plates “because you aren’t limited to one dish – you get to try loads of different things. And as a chef I want to try everything…”

How she did it: O’Sullivan never had formal training, working in bars and cafés in Melbourne and practicing cooking at home on the side of her studies. When someone offered her the chance to join in on the food side of things, she began as a breakfast chef before moving to a wine bar and then to restaurants. “It was serendipity”, she laughs. “I had been doing Italian food in Melbourne… and I wanted to get back into that. I heard Polpo had opened so I took myself off there... introduced myself and… here we are.”

What’s next: “I love the pickles... they’ve got sweetness, acidity and a crunch - three great elements which can add a wow factor.” Meanwhile, O’Sullivan’s Dutch Baby dessert with rhubarb jam and buttermilk ice cream has become one of the most ordered dishes. “A very good friend of mine is making amazing jams and marmalades from the London Borough Of Jam so I‘ve been incorporating them into our dessert menus. With our Dutch Baby, I serve it with ice cream and her jam. And I’m using her marmalade - Bergamot and blood orange - in a steamed marmalade pudding."

Rachel tweets from @Rakookoo

Spuntino, 61 Rupert Street, W1D 7PW; spuntino.co.uk

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