Chefs-n-Knives – Jacques Grove – The Bailey
Chefs-n-Knives – Jacques Grove – The Bailey
Welcome, dear reader, and welcome to Chef Jacques Grove! Jacques is a young, hardworking, go-getting, talented chef and one of Kitchen Samurai’s dear friends, as his support and patronage stretch back to our early days!
More about Jacques’ Chef Experience and Journey
Jacques’ cooking journey started while he was travelling Africa as part of a gap year. He would cook as part of his community service and would cook for the team, even though this wasn’t food that inspired him creatively. It did spark the foundational love for bringing people joy through food, though, and the personal joy it brought him from having prepared something for his peers/colleagues/friends.
He then went to culinary school and decided to attend “The Silwood School of Cookery.” They had a proven track record of producing fantastic chefs, and due to his nature, he decided that he wanted to run with the best if this was going to be his career.
He then had the chance to work in some amazing restaurants, including La Colombe, Greenhouse, the Shortmarket club and Foxcroft restaurant. Once he finished at Silwood, he started working for the great Ivor Jones at Chefswarehouse Beau Constantia. “I was a Chef de Partie there and moved on to Senior Chef de partie. I was there for a year and 7 months before heading over to Chefswarehouse Tintswalo Atlantic,” says Grove. He adds, “This was my first real senior job as the Sous Chef. I learnt and grew a lot during that time. Which led me to my current job. The head chef of The Bailey on Bree.”
The Bailey
Chef Jacques is currently heading up The Bailey, a relatively new venture from chef and restauranteur Liam Tomlin. The Bailey consists of three levels.
Ground Floor – The Bailey Bistro: The glamorous bistro features a patisserie with delicious cakes, tarts, pastries and fresh juices. Serving English or Irish breakfast, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & Dinner. The bistro is open for pre- and post-theatre drinks and eats, serving champagne and wine all day until closing, with last orders at 9 pm.*
First Floor – The Bailey Brasserie: An authentic Parisian Brasserie. The Brasserie features a menu of iconic continental dishes based on classic French recipes and methods complimented by a superb wine list.*
The Brasserie is open for lunch and dinner bookings, with service coordinated by the maître d’ whose team add an element of hospitality theatre to a contemporary dining experience.*
Second Floor – The Old Bailey Whiskey Bar: The Old Bailey Whiskey Bar, with its rooftop terrace, is evocative of top-end members’ clubs and bars in London and New York. Stylish table service offers an extensive whiskey collection, premium wines and cocktails are served in a sophisticated space. Dress-code is smart for The Old Bailey, inviting guests to relax and socialise within a like-minded community.
*Descriptions as seen on The Bailey’s website.
Disclaimer: We have had the privilege and pleasure of dining at The Bailey. The preparation, plating and table service by the Maître d’ and the team truly put the theatre back into dining. Great local wine selections paired with expertly prepared dishes!
Obviously, we could not leave without visiting The Old Bailey Whiskey Bar, where we relaxed, put our feet up and eased out the night after a luxurious dining experience with some smooth Nika from the Barrel Japanese whiskey.
Visit The Bailey HERE or check out their WEBSITE.
Right, let’s get down to business. So, with no further adieu, Chef Jacques, over to you.
Kitchen Samurai: We all know a sharp kitchen knife is the most crucial tool in any kitchen. Do you prefer a specific knife shape and have a favourite knife maker or brand?
Jacques Grove: I don’t have a specific knife shape I prefer over the other. Within the Japanese knife culture, there is a knife for every job in the kitchen. I find that the designated knife for the job at hand always works best and so I stick to it. As for Brands, I’m not too picky. However, along with the actual quality of the blade, I like looking at the generational success of a certain maker and the history of the family that make the knives. That’s part of the beauty and why I, and I’m sure most people, have a passion for Japanese knives. Exceptional quality, craftsmanship and tradition.
Kitchen Samurai: Steel is always important when selecting a workhorse. Which steels do you currently work with in the kitchen? Do you like harder steels for sharper edges, or do you put your knives to work?
Jacques Grove: The Steels I mostly like to work with are, Aogami, Shirogami and powdered steels, specifically SG2. As a professional cook, edge retention is incredibly important. We use our knives day in and day out. It’s relentless. And so we need to invest in knives that not only will get sharp but will stay sharp for as long as possible. So naturally, harder steels are always used, and I always encourage young chefs to invest in a good set of knives.
Kitchen Samurai: Knife maintenance is key to prolonging the longevity of knives. When your blades get dull or damaged, do you sharpen them yourself or send them for sharpening?
Jacques Grove: When it comes to sharpening these blades, I like to do it myself AND send them in. I like to sharpen my own knives because it teaches you more about the blade and the steel that the blade is made from. When you use your knives as much as we do, it also needs to be sharpened regularly, so taking them in every time isn’t very efficient. However, periodically I like sending my knives to the professionals at Kitchen Samurai if the blade needs to be thinned out and to ensure I’m not causing too much damage when I sharpen myself =D The result is always better than when I do it myself.
Kitchen Samurai: What is your favourite produce to break down, and which knife works the best for that purpose?
Jacques Grove: I like working with fruit and finer produce. Cutting perfect batons and showing good knife skills on a plate are one of the joys when you’re plating food. For these kinds of jobs, I use my Aogami super petty.
Kitchen Samurai: We refer to our higher-end, hand-forged knives as show ponies. Do you have a dream knife or show pony you would like to own one day?
Jacques Grove: There are many knives I would like to buy and can be considered ‘dream’ knives. Hand-forged, Shirogami, and powered steel knives from long-standing Japanese families always make the list. More specifically, a Hand forged left handed, shirogami yanagiba would be at the top of my list! Being left-handed makes finding single-bevel knives fairly difficult.
This or that?
- Santoku or Gyuto (Chefs Knife) – Santoku
- Carbon or Stainless – Carbon
- Japanese vs Western – Japanese
- Self-Sharpening vs Send for Sharpening – Send for Sharpening
- Wood Cutting Board or Rubber Compound – Wood cutting boards
Thank you for taking the time to engage with us, Jacques. We wish you well in all your future endeavours and hope to see you many more times at Kitchen Samurai.
Stay sharp,
Kitchen Samurai