Aspiring professional chef Sam Findlay speaks of his experience on Channel 4s 'Kitchen Impossible'

Posted Mon 14th Dec 2015 at 14:13
by Helen Eadie

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Sam starred in the show earlier this year, being put to the test by Michel Roux Jr to see if he has what it takes to make it in a professional kitchen. Read what Sam says about his experience.

This year Channel 4 broadcast a four part programme – Kitchen Impossible - which featured world renowned chef Michel Roux Jr putting eight out of work people with disabilities through an intensive four week introduction to catering – one of the toughest jobs around.

Two out of the eight people had Tourette Syndrome, including 17 year old Sam from York.  We interviewed him about his experience on the programme and the impact it has had on his life. 

Sam was diagnosed with TS at the age of eight, and in 2011 was confirmed as having Anxiety Disorder and ADHD.  Towards the end of secondary school Sam discovered his love of cooking and the positive impact this had on his TS.  In 2013 he started college and completed his level 2 diploma in Professional Cookery before going on to complete his level 3 NVQ in Confectionary and Patisserie.

What impact did Kitchen Impossible have on you?

I gained a lot of confidence in professional kitchen and people skills. Meeting the other people on the programme also made me more aware of other people’s different conditions and needs.  Having the cameras on me actually made my tics worse but what I did find was that I could support Sophie (another contestant with TS) with her TS, which I wasn’t expecting.

What would you say you learnt most about yourself from the experience?

That I can be a better team leader than I thought possible (in episode 2 Michel Roux recognises the potential in Sam and appoints him as Head Chef for the catering task they are set).  Being Head Chef was challenging. I found myself having to think about each member of the team differently because of their individual needs but then I had to try and treat them all the same too.

Apart from the personal experience the show gave you, what did you hope the show would do in terms of raising TS awareness and do you think it achieved it?

We were hoping they wouldn’t show too much coprolalia but they did, however they did show us experiencing tic fits, and other day to day tics both Sophie and I have.  Although it was not broadcast on the show, Sophie and I were asked to explain about TS on camera, so I feel the team were interested to hear about our story.  I think overall the programme portrayed TS well, the response we got on social media proved this.  Loads of people got in touch with me through Twitter to tell me they didn’t realise how hard it was to live with TS – so I think it really helped to raise awareness. 

Has the experience made you more determined to succeed in a professional kitchen?

Yes, it has given me lots of motivation to go as far as I can in this industry – my next goal is to become a sue chef.  During the show I got in touch with The Grand Hotel (York) about working in their 5 star hotel kitchen, and I now work 40/50 hours a week as part of the kitchen team.  Before the show I was struggling to get a job.

To follow Sam’s recipes, thoughts and insights check out his Blog:

www.twitchinginthekitchen.co.uk

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