02/06/2026
Meet the team behind the scenes here at Once Upon A Time…
Jake, our Chef de Partie, has been with us since 2025.
“My passion for cooking started pretty young; it was always around me in a very intentional way. Cooking, eating well, and trying new things. My dad especially pushed us to be open-minded with food and not shy away from different flavours or cuisines. Over time, that curiosity just naturally turned into a real passion.
My first proper kitchen job was as a pot washer in a local gastropub, and I worked my way up from there. When it comes to cuisine, there wasn’t one specific style that pulled me in. I’ve always been more interested in learning a bit of everything.
Before joining Once Upon a Time, I worked at Roe, where I gained more exposure to modern cooking techniques on a larger scale. It gave me a new appreciation for how technical and creative food can be.
For me, food is all about connection. Travelling made me realise how central it is to meeting people, building relationships, and understanding different cultures. Cooking is really just about learning, improving, and always seeing what else is out there.”
