Chef's Essentials is the Livingetc series exploring your favorite chefs' go-to kitchen utensils and how they contribute to shaping their craft, so that you, too, can start collecting their treasured cookware — each piece uniting functionality and style — and hone your culinary art.
The boundaries between design, fashion, and gastronomy have never been blurrier than they are today, and Sessions Arts Club's head chef, British rising culinary star Abigail Hill, beautifully embodies their crossover.
Typically, you'll find her at the Old Judges' dining room of Sessions House, a porous, ever-shifting London restaurant, where eccentric paintings and sculptures, distressed cement walls dotted with stuccoed arches, and an effortlessly chic ambiance winking at French bistros unfold across three terraces complete with fireplaces, a panoramic rooftop bar, and an urban jungle of a garden. Location surely plays a big part in favoring that creative spark, but nothing seems to have inspired the Sessions Arts Club head chef more than her own mom. From her, Hill has inherited the ability to transform the simplest, most seasonal ingredients into emotional feasts worth remembering.
Tuning into her senses and instincts to deliver culinary experiences not just defined by quality, but also charged with the warmth and resonance of family, she keeps a genuine enthusiasm and appetite for conviviality, creativity, and local flavors at the heart of fine dining. A mission Hill wouldn't be able to pursue without her trusted kitchen utensils.
What Kitchen Essential Speaks Most to Your Craft?
"For me, a serrated knife is one of the unsung heroes of my knife roll — the one tool I reach for when precision meets a little resistance. Of course, the large serrated knife is perfect for cutting bread, but also works wonders on roasted meats, pumpkins, or melons with a tough exterior, gripping hard crusts without crushing the soft interior.
"The small serrated knife, by contrast, is the secret weapon of both grandmothers and chefs alike, ideal for tomatoes, peaches, citrus, and chocolate blocks. It gives control and finesse where a bigger blade would be too unwieldy. Both are versatile, reliable, and honestly, I couldn’t work without them."
4 Serrated Knives That Are Versatile, Reliable, and Indespensable
"This bread knife sourced from Japan by Kitchen Provisions is one I see in chef's knife rolls time and time again, and for good reason."
"Made with German engineering, this bread knife's double‑serrated edge (serrations within serrations) gives excellent grip and slicing performance."
"This Miyako sleek, Damascus‑steel bread knife comes with an elegant finish, offering a nice balance between performance, durability, and aesthetics."
"This one is handy, lightweight, and easy to control, ideal for quick jobs where a big chef's knife would feel overkill," says Hill. Currently on sale on Amazon (£15.49 from £24), this Victorinox four-piece Swiss Classic, Tomato and Vegetable bundle is for those seeking greater versatility across ingredients, sizes, and shapes.
Have you heard of Parisian general store Landline's 'Tomato Knife'? Livingetc's Editor, Hugh Metcalf, has given in to the shop's viral fame and got one, and he promises it's the best kitchen utensil he's ever picked up.
