PAUL WENDHOLT trained as a chef at the Edge Hotel School, in Wivenhoe, and has since worked at a number of top establishments. Along with his friend and fellow chef, Jordan Sidwell, he co-owns and runs Grain, which launched on Colchester’s North Hill earlier this year and is fast earning a name for itself thanks to its ever changing menu and unusual approach to eating which involves diners choosing a number of small plates to try.

What food reminds you of childhood?

There a couple of foods that remind me of my childhood. Coming home from school and smelling a casserole or chicken soup that had been slow cooking all day was always a favourite of mine.

When I visit my parents now if my mum has a casserole in the oven it’s the first thing I notice as I walk in and it takes me straight back. My childhood memories are generally quite humble, my mum is a great home cook so we were always well fed and her roast takes some beating.

As a family we didn’t really do dessert so much when we were kids so tinned peaches and custard, from a carton, or left over Yorkshire puddings with golden syrup and ice cream will always hold a place in my heart.

What’s your favourite family recipe?

There are a couple. My mum’s casserole, there’s no set recipe though. It’s about knowing what goes in it and taking the time to let it cook slowly in the oven but most importantly finishing it by adding suet dumplings at the end that go crispy on the top and really stodgy underneath. Real comfort food. My dad also has a recipe for barbecue spare ribs from a bar owner in Majorca. It’s another one like the casserole though. I think I saw it written down on a scrap of paper once when I was younger but that’s long gone so they’re never quite the same each time you make them, but are always good.

If you were on death row what would your last meal be?

There’s just too many to pick. But I think if I had to it’d be tomato bruschetta with really good olive oil and a cup of coffee. They don’t go together at all but it’d be about what they remind me of - waking up in an Italian farmhouse in Tuscany on my honeymoon and having tomatoes grown on the farm, on their bread with a coffee - food can transport you somewhere else completely and if I was on death row I think I would want to remember where I was at my happiest one last time.

What is your ultimate comfort food?

As a chef that spends so much time around food I’m sure it should be elaborate or at least interesting but if I’m honest it would probably be toast with loads of salted butter. It always generates a bit of controversy if anyone witnesses me making toast because I like it pretty much burnt and with an unhealthy amount of butter. Perhaps it’s the butter that’s the comfort food??

Which three celebrities would make great dinner party guests?

Stephen Fry, Sarah Millican and Josh Widdicombe. Like everything else in life food is taken too seriously too often so we could just have a normal dinner and a few laughs, maybe even learn something from Stephen as we go.

Gazette: TWITTER FAN: Stephen Fry

What is the best restaurant in the world?

I could go on about this for hours. I have been fortunate to eat at some of the best restaurants in this country and across Europe and the USA that have been recognised as the best in the world, but dining is such a subjective thing. Of course the food is incredible in all of them, some surprisingly better than others, but I think it’s the whole package that makes a restaurant. One of the best things is being surprised at how good something is, or having an experience to remember. I’ve eaten at restaurants that I’ve built up and felt a little underwhelmed by and others where I have not known what to expect and been blown away. If I was pushed I would say Restaurant Sat Bains in the UK and Relae in Copenhagen were my favourites.

What ingredient do you use most at home?

I’m so rarely at home now that when I am I’m just grabbing something quick. So if I am honest the most used ingredient for me is milk and sugar in my tea in the morning.

What is your guilty pleasure?

A sausage roll from a well known high street bakery that rhymes with pegs. There’s something about the smell of them and getting one and eating it from the paper bag when its still hot.

What is the best takeaway in Essex?

It probably sounds a bit holier than thou to say I don’t eat takeaway, but it’s true. If I have the time I’d rather make a curry or something oriental. It’s always nice to have a go at something outside of my comfort zone. In the early days, before we opened Grain we did grab a couple of dishes from Noodle Bar to take away while we were decorating and they’re always good.

What’s your signature dish?

I don’t really have a signature dish and I think that’s what I love so much about what we do at Grain. We give ourselves the freedom to constantly challenge ourselves and change what we do. The idea of having just one dish you keep churning out has always seemed a bit boring to me.