We caught up with Duncan Philip, Head Chef at Norwich Theatre’s in-house restaurant, Prelude, to talk about his rock ’n’ roll culinary roots, seasonal menus, and what it’s really like to cook for pre-show theatregoers.
Where did you learn the trade?
I started when I was about 16. I started washing up in a place called Pancakes Too here in Norwich. It was a bit of an institution back in the day.
It was never my plan to be a chef. I was supposed to do my A levels and go on to university, but I somehow ended up working at Adlards. I’m a musician, and I ended up touring the world for a while, but I always come back to food.
Who inspired you?
Sam Clifford. Once I came back from tour, he was the one who brought me back in, and his food blew me away. His passion made it exciting and a little rock-and-roll, which matched what was going on in my life. I sort of got the buzz.
What was the first dish you learnt to master?
It would be one of his [Sam Clifford’s] signature dishes: a haddock gratin, with layers of spinach, haddock, and Crème Fraîche. It sounds simple, but they’re actually the flavours, and everything’s quite complex.
Working in the theatre sounds perfect for a musician.
Yeah, it really does. It is a fun place to be, and it’s a unique place to work because you’ve got the time constraints of getting everyone in and out before the show starts and getting all the desserts ready for when they come back in the interval.
Does that require a lot of planning?
You should think about the menu a little bit more. You have to work out whether we can get enough of that ready in one go to feed the whole restaurant in an hour and a half.
What is the importance of using seasonal, local ingredients in your kitchen?
It is really important, and I source things seasonally but locally as much as possible. It also makes the menus interesting as we adapt through the seasons, and we are very blessed where we are in the country.
Do you adapt your menu for the shows?
Yes. Of course we try and work out what each audience is like and opt for a menu to suit. For example, a family show might have a burger on the menu.
What do you have planned for the next menu?
Coming up, we have duck on the menu. We are using some of the theatre’s honey in a praline and honey tart. Coming back to seasonal, we will also feature apples and blackberries.
If you could cook a meal for any legendary theatrical figure (real or fictional), who would it be and what would you serve them?
I would cook for Alec Guinness; my Dad got me into his comedies. I would make him a lamb shoulder with a Swedish dish called Jansson’s Temptation, which has anchovies, cream, onions, potatoes, with some lovely greens.
What’s your ultimate comfort food after a dinner service?
Peanut butter noodles. It’s light and cold, perfect for the summer. It is also pretty quick, kind of like instant noodles… although I have never had a Pot Noodle.
To book a table or find out what is on the menu, visit https://norwichtheatre.org/your-visit/eatanddrink/