268: Career Conversations: The musical prodigy who became Quorn's Executive Chef

<div>Stu Henshall has <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/podcast/are-we-teaching-kids-enough-about-food-podcasts/">cooking</a> in his bones, but it didn't always look as though he would end up being Executive Chef at two of the world's biggest <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/the-best-vegan-plant-based-meat-alternatives/">meat-free</a> brands.<br> <br> </div> <div>His early years were spent helping out his mum and dad, who owned a farm and a restaurant.<br> <br> </div> <div>He tells Elisa Roche in this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, that he learned a lot in those early days, as much about front-of-house and pot washing as anything else.<br> <br> </div> <div>Alongside his love of food, he also had a passion for music and launched a successful career, working with The Prodigy, touring Europe, and gaining a gold disc for making a number one album.<br> <br> </div> <div>But he says he started to find that whilst on tour, he was more excited about the restaurants they were visiting than the gigs they were playing: "I realised something wasn't quite right."<br> <br> </div> <div>Then came a new moment in the limelight, and the start of the journey which has led to him becoming Executive Chef at <a href="https://www.quorn.co.uk/">Quorn</a> and <a href="https://www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/">Cauldron</a> - he appeared on the Great British Bake Off in 2015.<br> <br> </div> <div>"It's not a natural way to start a culinary career," he says. "There are a lot more eyes on what you're doing as opposed to starting as a 'pot wash' and working your way up from there."<br> <br> </div> <div>His appearance on GBBO, and his <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/discover/article/sustainability-food-jobs-green-jobs-plant-based-chef/">plant-based bakes</a>, raised a few eyebrows at the time. But now he has proved the doubters wrong.<br> <br> </div> <div>Listen to the full episode to find out how Stu made the transition from TV show contestant to respected executive chef, what his job