Justin Kett, head chef at The Swan in Lavenham took home one of the top prizes at this year’s Eat Suffolk Food and Drink Awards. We caught up with him…

Q: How did you feel when your name was called out at the awards ceremony?

A: It was fantastic I felt very proud of what I’ve archived, and I was very grateful.Iit was a nice surprise as there were some great chefs there on the night.

Q: How long have you been at the Swan?

A: I’ve been here for seven years now and before that I was working at The Brudenell for nearly two years. That’s how I first came to the TA group. Before that I was at the Castle Hotel in Taunton and in Australia and New Zealand.

Q; What do you love about being a Suffolk chef?

A: I love the produce. We’ve got so many untapped resources here from the onions through to pork and apples. Also, it’s good to be close to my family. I spent a lot of time living away and it was good to come back here. I’m from Wenhaston originally.

Q: Do you have a signature dish?

A: Not really. I just like to cook stuff that’s good, seasonal and local if possible. I do love making Wellingtons with venison though.

Q: Your earliest food memory?

A: It’s not the first thing but one thing I looked forward to was crisp sandwiches with cheese and tomato ketchup. I remember thinking it was amazing – the really nice cheddar and the bread. It reminds me of Saturday mornings growing up. If you have a really nice loaf of bread, good butter, good cheese and ketchup, with crisps for texture, it works pretty well.

Q: Can you remember the first thing you ever cooked?

A: It was a chicken veloute and I completely messed it up at school. I was only about 10 or 12 and I didn’t follow the recipe. I chucked all the milk and butter in and launched the flour at it and it turned to this lumpy grey, horrible mess.

Q: Do you have any favourite places to eat in Suffolk?

A: For special occasions The Bildeston Crown is very good, or The Great House. I like Pea Porridge too but I also like Milsoms at Kesgrave for a club sandwich – it’s fantastic.

Q: Which dish are you loving on your menu at the moment?

A: The heritage tomato salad with gazpacho.

Q: What’s the best ingredient to come out of Suffolk?

A: I think the pork is really good and that the onions are completely underused. We grow lots and don’t make the most of them. I also love the game.

Q: What’s the one thing you think everyone should learn to cook?

A: A lot of chefs these days don’t know how to cook. They’re just trying to make things look stunning on the plate. If you put them in service doing 40-50 cover without a water bath it becomes an issue! One thing they should make is bread. It’s such a staple and a great thing to be able to do. You can do so much with it. Anything in the fridge can be chucked in to flavour it -ham, cheese, mustard.

Q: Who would you most like to have dinner with?

A: Arsene Wenger. I want to know why he didn’t change when he was Arsenal manager.

Q: What do you always have in your fridge at home?

A: We’re never without butter.

Q: Is there any food you hate or don’t like to eat?

A: Not really. I mean, there are things I don’t like but I think they have their place. I’m not a fan of olives but they work well with so many things. I do hate things not in season – like strawberries in the middle of January. They don’t taste of anything and it’s a waste of money.

Q: Your favourite holiday dish?

A: Grilled ribs in Estonia. My wife’s from there. They are fantastic. They marinate them in blueberries and a little chilli. Delicious.