Skip to main content

Darren Ball - Brewery Chef

Posted: 26th October 2014

Age: 43

Lives: Whitstable, Kent

Career: Darren grew up in Whitstable and attended Sir William Nottidge School, now the Community College. Aged 18, he studied professional catering for three years at Canterbury College, then worked at a brasserie in Canterbury for seven years, starting as commis chef and promoted to head chef within two years. He worked at Canterbury’s Café Rouge for a year, before moving to Read’s in Faversham, where he was trained by Gordon Ramsay’s protege Mark Sargeant. He stayed there for six months before taking on a succession of head chef roles around Kent, including Birdies in Whitstable, Le Petit Poisson in Herne Bay, and Deesons in Canterbury, which he opened with the owner. He also worked as head chef for Shepherd Neame pubs The Cricketers in Canterbury, White Lion in Selling and the Duke of Cumberland and Chestfield Barn in Whitstable, and took on a Roaming Chef role for the brewery’s managed houses in London, visiting them and offering their chefs advice and training. He was appointed Brewery Chef three years ago.

Favourite Shepherd Neame beer: Whitstable Bay Blonde Lager

Favourite non-Shepherd Neame beer: Kronenbourg

What are your main responsibilities? I work closely with Catering Manager and Wedding Functions Co-Ordinator Sam Jeals, to plan menus for forthcoming events at the Visitor Centre and The Old Brewery Store. I am responsible for stocktaking and ordering supplies. My most important role is to ensure that the food is delivered on time and to budget, and is of the highest quality. I prep and prepare a huge range of dishes, with casual staff to assist when necessary, and clean the kitchen afterwards.

Are you a manager? I manage a team of up to seven casual kitchen staff, depending on the size of the event we are catering for. They include Andy Moth, an apprentice chef who has been working with me for a year.

Darren Ball 3

Darren Ball 4

Beer and food evening at Shepherd Neame's Visitor Centre

Darren Ball 1

Darren Ball 2

What does a typical day involve? There is no typical day, it depends what we have on that week. This week we have the annual dinner before the AGM, which involves a five course meal for 85 people, so we are very busy. We will spend two days prepping as much as we can, for example poaching salmon, creating salads and cheese platters, and then on the day of the dinner we will probably work for 12 hours straight.  I typically have one in four weekends off, as lots of our events take place at the weekend.

What attracted you to the industry? My father was a big influence in my decision to become a chef. He recommended the profession to me when I was a teenager, saying I would never be out of a job as people would always need to eat. I was always very good at cooking at school, and really enjoyed it, so I decided to go for it, and applied for the course at Canterbury College. I never imagined I would still be a chef, 25 years on!

What personal characteristics help you in your role? Good communication skills, essential when managing the kitchen team and liaising with clients; organisation, as good forward planning is necessary to ensure that events go smoothly; and a passion for food, as it is hard work so you have to enjoy it.

What attracted you to the job? I never pursued a specialism as a chef, I have always been a good all-rounder, so when this job came up, which involved cooking for a diverse range of events, it seemed perfect for me. I had also worked for Shepherd Neame before, so I knew they were good to their employees, and I liked the idea of working at the heart of the brewery.

What are the most rewarding parts of your job? I still feel a huge sense of achievement at the successful completion of an event, from planning the menu, to seeing guests enjoying the food. It is particularly rewarding when you receive compliments for your menu. I also take pride in being able to help new chefs, such as our apprentice Andy, develop their skills and progress in their career.

What is tough about the job? It often involves long hours with few breaks, working in a very hot environment under intense pressure. But I love the hustle and bustle of the kitchen - I thrive on adrenaline.

What do you consider your biggest success at the company so far? I cook for the Shepherd Neame board once a month, and have been given free rein to serve whatever I like, which I hope demonstrates their faith in my abilities. I really enjoy putting a menu together, and have received many compliments on my cooking from the board members, which I am very proud of.

Which chefs most inspire you? I like Gordon Ramsay, though I don’t like his attitude! His dishes are always well presented with very clear, sharp flavours.

What are your hobbies and interests outside work? I have a 16-year-old son Toby, and 11-year-old daughter Cydney, so I spend the majority of my free time with them.