WIRRAL CHEFS SHINE 2009: Adam steps into the spotlight

Jul 1 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

DETERMINED Adam Bowers is stepping into the spotlight after years of quietly making a name for himself around Hoylake and West Kirby.

The 22-year-old chef at Hoylake’s Portrait House, our third finalist in Wirral Chefs Shine 2009, started his career running the kitchen at Slinkys in West Kirby.

Aged just 17 and fresh from Hilbre High School, his ambition and enthusiasm won over the cafe-bar owners.

Just over a year later, he moved to The Wro, also in West Kirby after owner Sally dined at Slinkys and asked him to help out.

Adam, who lives in Hoylake, said: “I felt I could cook but I needed to learn how to order stock and run a kitchen.

“Both tested me but it was invaluable experience.”

Two years ago Adam agreed to help out at the newly-opened Portrait House. After a month he moved on to a job at The Collingwood in West Kirby – but returned to the Portrait House as chef de partie six months later.

A promotion to commis chef followed – and last week he became second chef, working under last year’s Wirral Chefs Shine finalist Dave Williams.

The experience made him determined to enter this year.

He said: “I was a big part of Dave’s night and it was really exciting to go through it with him.”

Adam says the inspiration for his career as a chef was his late father Peter, whose cooking gave him a taste for spicy food.

He said: "He used to do a lot of cooking, sometimes he'd wake up in the middle of the night and go and make something! He had a lot of friends from London who used to come and stay. Some of them were Jamaican and they'd come and do things like salted fish.

"He liked trying different things and he'd do things like roast dinners but always with an extra touch, like a red wine gravy.

"Now, because of the way I was brought up I'll have chillies with everything!"

Adam is a keen footballer and runner in his spare time and considered becoming a fitness trainer before spotting the advert for the job at Slinkys which started his career.

"When I started thinking about what I wanted to do, it was either a chef or something to do with fitness," he said. "I was thinking about becoming a personal trainer but then I saw the opportunity at Slinkys. They were offering NVQs as well, which was another thing which made me go for it.

"When I went for the interview I was completely honest. I was there straight from school and they took me on even though they had trained chefs applying for the job, which was quite a big thing for me.

"I just thought I'd apply for it and if I was lucky they'd keep my number on file."

Adam enjoys creating simple, modern food – often with contrasting textures to challenge the palette.

This philosophy is reflected in his three courses, for example a tuille biscuit in the dessert to balance the smooth, creamy texture of the parfait.

He said: “Even if I make a soup I’ll try and put something back into it that’s coarse. If it’s all the same you might as well be eating baby food.”

Wirral Chefs Shine at the Portrait House, The Quadrant, Hoylake, is from 7pm on Tuesday, July 14.

The cost of a three-course meal is £14.95. To book call 632 4444.

Wirral Chefs Shine 2009 is supported by Wirral Council, the Mersey Partnership, Wirral Met College and Liverpool Community College.