Hira Thakur - Behind the Apron
- julia-brown7
- Mar 27, 2024
- 5 min read
Originally from Shimla in the foothills of the Himalaya's, Hira relocated to the UK in June 2013. His family used to work in the apple orchards however he found himself being drawn away from the physical labour his father endured to being more inspired by his Mother's cooking, which is where he learnt to cook and where he found his passion grew.
He honed his skills at various Nottingham restaurants, including The Cumin, Chino Latino, World Service, and Restaurant Six, where he worked alongside renowned chefs like Tom Seller. His journey culminated in his first head chef role at The Old Vol in Caythorpe. Hira is now head chef at Cleaver and Wake which brings spectacular fine dining to the city.
Hira starts his day at 6am prompt with a run and then boxing, but also making time to take his two girls to school. He is all about family values and making decisions about his career that are driven by his heart and being passionate about what he does is what he prides himself on most. His team are really important to him too and he believes that a good working environment and culture is hugely important to being successful.
So what does the future bring? Hira would love to open his own restaurant one day, it's not about money for him though, it's about making people happy through his love of food as that's what he enjoys the most.
Q&A
What's your earliest cooking / food memory?
The earliest cooking memories would have to be with my Mum when I was 12, we always cooked together and she taught me how to combine spices which helped me to develop my love of cooking and I still use that as my inspiration today.
What's your go to comfort food & does it hold any significance?
It has got to be curries - mutton curry specifically is the one that comes to mind which my Dad and I both used to enjoy together very much. It is very simple, hearty and delicious. I also very much love ramen, miso cod, salmon and sushi, it is hard to pick just the one when there are so many.
What's your favourite kitchen hack or cooking tip you think every cook should know?
It is really important to cook with passion and love in order to be successful in the kitchen. If you enjoy what you do and if you are happy then it will come naturally. If you're not feeling it then it just won't work out long term, it has to come from the heart and be a real joy.
Have you had any kitchen fails and what was the worst one?
Never had any kitchen fails, fingers crossed! I tend to prepare ahead and make sure that I am early to everything so that I have plenty of time to put things right if anything is going off course. If I've seen other people struggling and being in danger of things going wrong then I am the first to help them put things right.
Is there a mentor or role model that has inspired you throughout your career?
My Mum is absolutely the No1 role model as her cooking has shaped me to be the person I am today. There is also Gaggan Annand whose restaurant Gaggan has repeatedly been in the World Top 50 Lists and has taken the top spot in 2015 , 2016 & 2017 for best restaurant in Thailand. His story of when he was young and his mum struggled to pay his college fees, to then opening up a restaurant and within a few years becoming the best Asian chef in the word is a story that regularly inspires me. I also look up to Daniel Humm who is a plant-based chef and the things that he does with these ingredients are on another level so you can see why he has 3 Michelin stars and restaurants in New York and London. New York's Eleven Madison Park was voted best restaurant in the world in 2017 which is certainly something that I find inspirational.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your dishes?
I tend to watch a lot of cooking programmes, Masterchef Australia, Great British Menu as well as others. I also read a lot of books - Eleven Madison by Daniel Humm, Renne Redzepi's Fermentation who is a chef from Copenhagen who has 3 Michelin stars, Core by Clare Smyth. All of these books and shows are places where I look for inspiration but I also am a huge believer of practice, practice practice in order to perfect the dishes that I am working on. I also like Sat Bains' approach of doodling and drawing out ideas on paper to bring ideas to life.
If you could host a dinner party for any guest (can be dead or alive or fictional) who would they be and what would you cook for them?
It would have to be Gordon Ramsey, Daniel Humm, Clare Smyth and Simon Rogan, Gaggan Annand. I would love to get criticism from Ramsey on my cooking, where can I improve and get feedback from the top dogs. Gordon is always honest so you know he won't pull any punches. The menu would have to be a 7/10 course tasting menu, a proper fine dining experience for the Chef's that I look up to. One of the dishes would have to include a classic turbot dish.
What are your favourite ingredients to cook with?
Yuzu is one of my favourites, ginger, miso and spices too. I love making a yuzu beurre blanc, yuzu possett, ponzu with yuzu, I was even going to open a restaurant called Yuzu I love it so much. I like to experiment with savoury flavours in dessert however more traditionally miso also has the wonderful umami flavours which goes really well with fish which I enjoy cooking too.
If you could give your younger self a piece of advice what would it be?
I would just say make sure that you read a lot of books, practice, be disciplined and most importantly passionate about what you do. Mindset is really important and putting in the focus and positivity into everything you do.
What would be your death row meal and if you could choose which restaurant it would be at, where would it be?
My mums Raj Maha Dal with rice - this is a dish that is made up of Kidney beans , coriander, cumin, ginger , garlic, yoghurt, garam masala and also goes really well with a fresh chapati.
If I was going to have my last meal in a restaurant it would have to be Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park the full Dining Experience.
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