Former Gordon Ramsay Chef Joins Seven Restaurant in Pride Park
A local chef who trained and worked with the Gordon Ramsay Group in London has returned home and taken up the post of Head Chef at the award-winning Seven restaurant in Derby’s Pride Park.
Thomas Greig (31) attended catering college in Nottinghamshire and worked in several local pubs and restaurants before applying for a job with the Gordon Ramsay Group of restaurants. He started as a Comis Chef at Bread Street Kitchen in London’s St Paul’s before moving to London House in Heddon Street and then being promoted to Sous Chef at the Group’s Maze Michelin Star fine dining restaurant in Mayfair in 2011.
He has now returned home and has big plans for Seven which won Restaurant of the Year in the Derby Food and Drink Awards in 2014 - just a year after opening. Thomas explained: “Working at somewhere like Maze in particular is a make or break experience for a chef. I found it a fantastic experience and I learnt so much in the European and Asian fusion restaurant. “We had a lot of contact with Gordon Ramsay himself at London House in particular and he certainly sets exacting standards – although he is nothing like his television persona! “The menu at Maze was all about using the freshest ingredients and locally-sourced produce which is something very close to my heart and is the ethos at Seven which is what attracted me to work here. “I also pride myself on preparing intricate dishes with attention to detail and Seven is therefore the perfect fit for my skills.
“It is great to back living close to friends and family and, at Seven, I am enjoying re-designing the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for our wide range of clientele from business people to groups celebrating a special event in one of our private dining rooms.
Seven owner Helen Salloway continued: “We are delighted that Thomas has joined us – bringing fresh ideas and a lot of first class experience. “As we celebrate our third anniversary, this is the perfect time to review everything that we do – building on the many positives and consider what we can do better to provide something exciting and different to the city’s restaurant scene. “Thomas also shares my commitment to training the next generation of chefs and we will continue to work with Derby College to provide work experience and master classes for students there to help prepare them for the world of work.”