Chef Jos Wellman (aka Tallyrand)

Born in the UK and initially raised in my father’s hometown in Wales, I consider myself a Welshman through and through. Although, with my father in both the Royal and Merchant Navies and later in the Police force we travelled quite a lot as a child, which seems to have given me itchy feet for the rest of my life and a passion for travel as you will see. I guess you could say I am now a displaced Welshman, an adopted Kiwi and a citizen of the world.

I actually started my initial chef training in my mother’s hometown of Plymouth, nestled on Devon’s South West coast and home of the Pilgrim Father’s, Sir Francis Drake and Chichester and while I was there a great open air fish market on the quay, long since gone I am sorry to say. I attended the College of Further Education there, attending full-time for two years: 1975 – 1977 and under the watchful eyes of Chefs Wilmer Hirsch, Wilfred Martin, Harry Cunningham and David Hopkins. Chef Hopkins still teaches there and I am always mindful to visit my mentors when I am back in the UK. During these two years I gained my London City & Guilds qualifications with credits and distinctions. I credit all these chefs with my 'successes' over the years, with particular mention to Chefs Hirsch and Hopkins. Who influenced me greatly and taught me never to accept anything that was not my best, always research things and not to just accept just one view point. So it was here that I was to learn my love, my passion for food and the culinary arts.

Under the direction of Chef Hirsch, I then headed (as a raw 17 year old) to Germany to 'complete' my apprenticeship, not that one ever really does as a chef; one should always be continually learning. My first position there was as Commis de Gardemanger with the Steigenberger Hotel chain in Bad Neunahr; under Chef Otto. It was my introduction to the cold section of the kitchen and buffet work. Purposely sent there, as very few people spoke English, I became fluent in German very quickly. It made for a very eye opening, hard working and enjoyable first year in the trade; both personally and professionally. It also gave me my first taste of cooking for 'the rich and famous'; half way through the year along with the Sous Chef and a Chef de Partie we were whisked up to the German capital of Koln (Cologne) to help prepare meals for a political conference, where amongst other dignitaries we cooked for was Mr Brehznev, the then powerful USSR leader. This was to prove to be just one of the many 'celebrities' I was to cook for, be chef for, or get to know over the years.

After a year, I transferred to Frankfurt and worked at the prestigious Hotel Frankfurter Hof, under Chef Herrn Stumpf. The Hotel was a lot larger and a lot busier an establishment, that mainly catered for business people and the rich and famous. I drew the short straw once to complete a week of graveyard shifts; 11pm – 7am, to be in attendance just in case Sammy Davies Jnr should want food after his shows. Who as it turned out he would come to the kitchen himself at the wee hours and chatter as he ate on a workbench. Being here for a year, taught me so much about cooking for large amounts and high quality, fine dining. It was a long hard year but so rewarding; working shifts of up to 12 hours straight and in some cases when we changed shifts only having 6 hours to get home, relax, sleep and get back to work. But it did reinforce many techniques I was learning and how simple, high quality foods can be: freshly cured meats, good bacon and sausages, fresh eggs, speciality in season foods like asparagus and the abundance of different European breads.