Alumni Story: Apprentice to Chef Director (Nomadic Sporadic)

James says his experience at Bournemouth and Poole College was both a ‘positive’ and ‘pleasant’ one. He started when he was 16 on the Specialised Chefs programme and originally was from Christchurch, so he grew up in the area. 

James says he: “Spent a lot of time researching courses, and the college sort of ‘shone out’ because of the Specialised Chefs programme.” At the age of 16, he was ready to move out - so the prospects of potentially leaving home, moving to London and working at one of the top three restaurants or hotels in the country was very appealing to him. He describes the first three months as ‘amazing’, stating that it sets you up for a career in London. 

James says: “I think it’s very difficult, isn’t it, when you’re that age - to decide on a career for life? I think nowadays there’s so much more available to people and people tend to chop and change. We’re going back 30 years when I started cooking. My childhood was full of various different things I used to do like: lifeguarding, skateboarding.”

He continues: “One of those things I used to have to do on a Saturday afternoon was help my parents cook. We had a Sega Megadrive back in those days, and one of the things me and my brother did after we helped cook the evening meal, was to play on the Sega. And growing up in our household; cooking as a family, was a very big part of our lives.”

James’s father said to him at an open evening at the college, that he could have a career out of cooking, being told that ‘It’s something you enjoy and you can make money out of doing it. ’James said he had that ‘lightbulb’ moment, where cooking was an activity he really enjoyed and then found the Specialised Chefs Programme – leading to his long and invigorating career as a chef.    

James’s most memorable time at Bournemouth and Poole College was his final exam. Held then in one of the old parts of the college he says that it’s quite interesting how food has changed over the past 30 years. 

James states: “For my exam it was a real test on your skills and on your knowledge and focusing on food of Escoffier’s time, so we did like a whole aspect platter with suspended poached eggs and braised beef with a forestier garnish - and all the sort of dishes which I absolutely love - but you don’t see so much anymore. I just remember 1. How difficult and pressurising it was which I enjoy and 2. How much satisfaction I had when they told us that we had all passed. Being able to remember that all those three years of hard work at the Savoy had accumulated into something which I’d obviously excelled in and passed at that six-hour period of time. “

James did four years advanced enablement at The Savoy, He then went to work for Mark Hix at The Caprice in Green Park, completing all the sections there. He then was offered a job at J. Sheekey’s in Green Park which won the best fish restaurant in the UK, and he rose up to Sous Chef there. “I was then asked to go to New York and I was head chef at the Oscar Party in LA in New York in 2005“ 

Then James came back to the area and started building a career locally; doing a short stint at the Harbour Heights in Sandbanks and then by working as Chef Director of The Pig for 14 years. More recently, he left The Pig a year and a half ago and started his own company called Nomadic Sporadic. 

His family bought a house in the Tuscany  mountains and hostItalian Food experiences . Alongside this, “I now also do consultancy and I run a VIP supper clubs and celebrity chef events in the UK. As well as doing a bit of telly so I’m a regular on Sunday Brunch – I do three – four times a year and I’ve been doing it for five years.”

James says: “The college is now is a different place, When I was a student, we were over in the old part in the old building. The heart of the college hasn’t changed, it’s still as passionate about its catering department as it always has been. However, it is obviously going to be very, very different when they finish the new build over there and I’m very excited to see how that unfolds I think the college is going to have one of the best facilities in the South West and across the coast of England. It’s amazing to see the same level of passion and excitement my daughter now has whilst studying for the same course. It’s amazing.”

James says: “I wouldn’t say I cook all the time. My job is now split into multiple roles. I do a lot of ambassadorships with Canada with Liquid PR and I do a lot of stuff with truffle companies with my connections and my woodlands out in Italy and I cook my supper clubs at say Rockwater or our bits we do out in Italy. I probably cook now about eight or nine times a month. Still, I do big events but when I’m not cooking I’m looking to do consultancy to  show people how they benefit and come up with menus that are exciting or just give them ideas they hadn’t really thought about!”

In the future, James is focused on his events with Nomadic Sporadic and his supper clubs – he says he is loving the events that he’s doing in the UK -  both with the supper clubs and also with promoting the food he grew up with. He says: “My mother is Italian and I’m sort of going back to my roots a bit, as well as being able to travel – I’m enjoying a slightly slower life – I say that, we’re out there a week and then when we come back we’re running around again a bit. I think looking forward to the future, working with education and a few colleges at the moment to inspire the next generation of chefs. On top of that just to actually have fun. After years of working in a kitchen and after driving around the country trying to support everybody else I’m a true believer of doing work that is fun enjoyable for me and feeds my soul as well my brain and as everything else.”