About

Welcome!

Hey there! my name’s Neil and I am the creator of Cookin’Cabin!

I’m a trained chef and passionate about classic cookery. Not everything has to be cooked in a water bath for two days! I still love to learn new recipes and modern techniques and put my own ‘classic’ twist on them…after-all every day is a school day! At home, I like to keep food simple, adapting methods and techniques I have learned from the professional kitchen.

Where Did Your Love of Food Begin?

Growing up, my mother passed along her love and talent for cooking to me at an early age. She would spend hours in the kitchen creating elaborate spreads for friends and family while I observed and constantly got under her feet!

At the age of fifteen, I left school and went to work in a local restaurant as a kitchen assistant, which taught me some of the basics of food preparation and cooking techniques. It firmly cemented my love for cooking and within three months, I had enrolled in a course to learn to become a professional chef.

What Experience do you Have in the Food Industry?

After graduating in 1988, I continued my training by carrying out stages in Michelin-starred restaurants across France, acquiring new skills and absorbing knowledge under some great and highly talented chefs.

These included training under Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco and after 2 privileged years, I was then offered a stage to work for the Troisgros family in Roanne.

For the following 15 years, I worked in restaurants in Hong Kong, London and Switzerland. Then in 2006, after completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, I accepted a position as a senior chef lecturer and instructor at a culinary school in the UK, training and nurturing the talent of tomorrow. Finally, after nine great years, I decided it was time to try something new and spend more time with my young family.

What is Cookin’Cabin all About?

I started this blog to give home cooks the knowledge they need to succeed. I believe having a firm grasp of basic cooking, food and drink fundamentals is the first step to becoming a great cook.

Cookin’Cabin is loaded with current and helpful knowledge, and it may make your life much simpler in the kitchen as a result. I share the most recent culinary insights and tips that are worth reading and sharing. Although this isn’t primarily a recipe site, I do provide a lot of advice on how to cook and clean, particularly regarding various cookware and small kitchen appliances.

In addition to offering helpful information for cooks, I occasionally offer in-depth reviews of various kitchen equipment you can use to prepare food and beverages. I only provide reviews for products that I have used, intend to purchase, or came highly recommended and I don’t pick products with the most bells and whistles or the most beautiful packaging. Instead, I choose the product I believe will be most beneficial for most people.

Are you a Full Time Food Blogger?

No, only part time. In 2015, I decided to change careers due to family obligations, and I’ve been working independently as a freelance web developer; blogging is a hobby. So, this blog won’t spam you with ads and guest posts. Blogs have become very commercial, so I’ll only put ads in when they make sense, and any guest posts must be perfect for you, the readership.

Thanks for Reading!

I like to share tales about life, cooking and food. I’ve had some fantastic experiences over my lifetime in the food industry, many of which I document here. I hope that you have fun reading them. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions you need answering. If getting in touch through the blog isn’t your bag, feel free to chat with me on Facebook or peek at some of my pictures and stories on Instagram.