He's the talented chef at the helm of the original THE PIG in the New Forest where there's a commitment to a 25 mile menu.
Head Chef Alex Proudman talks hot sauce and wild garlic in our meet the chef column.
Tell us a bit about your career so far…?
"I started cooking in a professional kitchen at 16 on the specialised chef apprenticeship programme. My first kitchen was at the Sloane Club in London. I then joined Adam Byatt at Bistro Union and Trinity, which gained a Michelin star while I was there. I left London when I was 21 to work on superyachts, but it wasn't for me. I have always wanted to live in Hampshire/Dorset and started at THE PIG On The Beach before moving to The Pig where I have worked my way up from Junior Sous Chef to Head Chef."
"Competing in the Academy of Culinary Arts awards of excellence and being told by Gary Jones, the head chef of Le Manoir, that my fish was the best cooked in the room."
What is your signature dish?
"I love lamb rump and marinade it for 24hrs in buttermilk, then cook it on the Japanese barbecue and serve with Isle of Wight tomatoes marinated in Chardonnay vinegar and rapeseed oil, anchovy dressing and a garden salsa verde."
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"Monkfish Carpacchio, with Smoked Yogurt and Preserved Chilli Dressing."
Where is your favourite place to eat locally?
"The Hut on the Isle of Wight."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"A barbecue. I love cooking over fire, the social element and having family time."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"Anything sweet! I have a very sweet tooth."
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Hot sauce. I will have it with pretty much everything."
What is your favourite local ingredient?
"Wild garlic from the Isle of Wight. I serve it on toast with whipped goats cure and smoked tomatoes."
Which chef do you most admire?
"Adam Byatt. He picked me up from a sad place where I didn’t know if I wanted to cook anymore and he gave me my passion and love for food back."
What’s your career ambition?
"To help the apprentices in my team and be the chef that they look back to with fond memories."
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"Cooking over fire. It brings incredible flavour to dishes."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here