Meet Jordan, our Senior Sous Chef

We chatted to our Senior Sous Chef, Jordan Passey, at our Chapters restaurant, to learn what he did before heading up our kitchen and creating our delicious menus. 

“I am a 26-year-old passionate and driven chef from Newport, Shropshire. 

I started in the catering industry at just 16 years old, working at my local gastro pub as a kitchen porter, while I studied sports science at college. 

I almost immediately fell in love with the fast pace and high energy of the kitchen environment, and quickly decided I wanted to become a chef. Luckily, a commis chef position became available and I jumped at the chance to start my career.  

Whilst working as a commis chef I completed an apprenticeship in food & catering. This gave me additional knowledge and insight into the industry I was so passionate about.  

After working as a commis chef for over 12 months, I was thrilled when an opportunity arose to work as chef-de-partie in a hotel in Jersey. 

During this time, I worked closely with fresh seafood and shellfish and fell in love with the fresh produce the Channel Islands had to offer. My daily tasks included cleaning and debearding mussels, shucking oysters (the process of opening the shell to reveal the delicate meat inside) and opening and cleaning scallops. This was my first experience of working with fresh shellfish and it was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.

As well as preparing fresh seafood I also worked on the pastry section preparing afternoon teas for our guests to enjoy on the terrace. I think this was where I found my passion for pastry, a passion that has stayed with me as I believe it is an area that I get to truly express myself. Not only was this experience great for improving my skills as a chef, but also it was great for improving my knowledge and understanding in seasonality of produce.  

After working in Jersey, I moved across the channel to work in a fine dining hotel restaurant in St Peters Port, Guernsey. This was a fantastic experience for me as it really helped me improve my standards and knowledge of food. I worked closely with chefs and front of house staff with lots of knowledge and experience in the industry. The Head Chef would always demand more from me. This is a trait I have carried on myself, I have always tried to improve and push myself. I will always be thankful to the management team and all the staff for how I was looked after in my short time there.  

During my time as a chef, I have gained inspiration from chefs such as Raymond Blanc and Marco Pierre White, reading many of their books. I love Raymond Blancs’s philosophy of seasonal and local produce and the simplicity of his cooking. Marco has always been a chef I admire as not only did he put British cuisine on the map; he also did it looking cool, inspiring so many other British chefs. 

I have been working at Lilleshall National Sports Centre for almost 3 years. I’m very excited about the opportunity of the new restaurant opening which will allow me to express my passion for innovative cooking & locally sourced seasonal ingredients.”

Find out more about what we offer at Lilleshall House and Gardens here.

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