4 things top chefs can’t stand

1. Xanthe Clay

“I hate ready made salad dressings – they taste vile and what is so hard about shaking together oil, vinegar and salt? Also, bottled mayonnaise – it drowns the flavour of everything else – just use créme fraîche instead. Oh and margarine. Read the ingredients list – why would you want to eat that? It’s a crime against food”

2. Rose Elliot

“Well, first up, no meat or fish every crosses my threshold… and I can’t bear it if anyone starts cooking without washing their hands, or ‘double-dips’ when tasting from the pot. I do like my kitchen to be tidy and clutter-free, too, though I can assure you it’s not like that after I’ve finished cooking! When I’m inventing recipes, I need to be on my own in the kitchen so I can concentrate, but when I’m ‘just cooking’ for friends and family, my kitchen is a lively place, full of chatter and laughter”

3. Tim Maddams

“What I really can’t stand in my kitchen is waste, there is no place for it, no reason and no excuse although in my house, there’s seldom a chance”

4. Omar Allibhoy

“I hate going to a restaurant when the fryer oil hasn’t been changed. You can taste the dirty oil – disgusting”

Try this simple pomegranate salad dressing recipe.