Ronnie Bannerman-Thompson, chef at Mojo Bar and Tapas in Cairo Street, Warrington, shares his secrets

The essential ingredient every kitchen must have...

Any good chef knows that having a well-stocked kitchen is absolutely essential.

Salt is the first ingredient we stock as it seasons the food and brings out the flavours. Pepper is almost as vital.

Pepper makes sauces, dressings, meats and vegetables go from bland to delectable.

Black, white, and red peppers add the perfect touch and we keep a variety of fresh and ground pepper handy for all of your daily cooking needs.

The first kitchen I worked in was...

The Park Royal International as an apprentice chef. It taught me every aspect of cooking.

I started on salad section where I was preparing cold salad, starters and basic knife skills.

My first professional job was...

With LM Joinery for Larry Muschamp of Grappenhall. I worked with Larry for two years, where he taught me basic woodwork skills along with many other joinery aspects.

The first dish I prepared for service...

Coq au vin, the preparation is similar in many respects to beef bourguignon.

The chicken is first marinated in wine, then seared in fat and slowly simmered until tender.

The usual seasonings are salt, pepper, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, usually in the form of a bouquet garni.

The juices are thickened either by making a small roux at the beginning of cooking, or by adding blood at the end.

My biggest kitchen disaster was...

During refurbishment one year and having lots of things going on at the same time, the date slipped my mind, which wasn’t ideal as it was a Good Friday and I never ordered the fish.

Let’s just say I never let that happen again.

My favourite chef is...

Anton Mosimann. At 15 he began an apprenticeship at a local hotel, and he received his diploma as a chef de cuisine at the age of 25.

During his 20s he worked at hotels in Rome, Montreal, Japan and Belgium. In Japan, Mosimann was head chef at the Swiss Pavilion.

He then went on to work at the Doncaster Hotel and when the Dorchester's restaurant achieved a two-star rating in the Michelin Guide it was the first hotel restaurant outside of France to do so.

Away from the restaurant my favourite meal is...

I would definitely have to say the wife’s Sunday roast. Sundays provide the perfect occasion to gather together loved ones as we don’t always get to eat together with me running a kitchen.

She makes beautiful hand-carved meats, always with crispy roast potatoes, fresh vegetables and lashings of gravy.