A mere six years ago April Lily Partridge had no interest in food – at all. Today, the 21-year-old is not only chef de partie at The Club at The Ivy in London, but has just received one of the industry’s highest accolades: Best Young Chef at this year’s OFM Awards, sponsored by Cuisinart.
“I heard the news at the end of a double shift,” she says. “I began crying down the phone like a big baby. At the time, I just thought I was tired, but in hindsight it probably had more to do with sheer disbelief.
“I could not believe that the likes of Tom Kerridge, Angela Hartnett, Sat Bains and Nigel Slater had chosen me to win. To be recognised by these people, who I consider my heroes, is the best thing in the world.”
April’s unlikely journey from unknown London schoolgirl to this year’s most promising new chef started at the age of 15, when she was asked by her school to find two weeks’ work experience. With no interest in any job requiring a desk, she began looking into kitchens.
“Unfortunately, almost every single placement was in McDonald’s, KFC or some other fast-food outlet,” she says. “But then I noticed an advert for a placement at The Reform Club in Pall Mall. My two weeks there ended up changing everything. I basically fell head over heels in love with professional cooking. I loved everything about it from the team spirit to the fast-paced atmosphere. And as soon as went back to school I just wanted to be back in the kitchen.”
Not long afterwards, April was awarded a one-day placement
at The Ivy after winning the London heat of the Rotary Young Chef competition.
The restaurant’s executive chef, Gary Lee, was so impressed that he invited April to come and work for the restaurant at weekends and during her summer holidays.
“I’d already agreed to do my A-levels – my mum wanted me to do them – but I was so obsessed with cooking that I pulled out after one year and enrolled on a cookery course at Westminster Kingsway College, which involved spending three weeks of every month in The Ivy kitchen and one week studying. It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s all finally paid off. I have my dream job and now this wonderful award.”
With so much experience under her belt already, where does the young chef hope to be in 10 years’ time? “I simply want to be the best chef I can possibly be,” she says, “so I can inspire the next generation of young people coming into the industry.”
