J Walker

I am the Executive Head Chef, at Hermitage Road in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Which is also the venue where I began my career as a commis chef, only 7 years ago. I spent 3 years between my stints at Hermitage Road, working at other local good quality establishments, including The Black Horse, in Ireland, where I honed my skills & passion for great, fresh & seasonal produce.

I use micro herbs & cress from Nurtured in Norfolk as they always supply me with the best quality & flavoured produce. But I always choose the correct cress for the dish, as I believe as of lately, a lot of chefs are using micro cress, purely for effect only. I believe with the great flavour coming through from the micro herbs, you can bring another element to your dishes, so the flavour profiles are not to be overlooked.

I use a wide range of Nurtured in Norfolk products, and the quality never wavers. The baby veg range is also a winner. My favoured micro herb is ‘micro red shiso’, as visually it looks stunning, the colour can break a strict colour scheme on your plate. But also, the flavour, is incredible, brings a floral note, yet almost touching on a Lemon Verbena flavour, citrusy and yet a little bitter.

Connect with Joe Walker and discover more of his work at @chefjoewalker