The sous chef making waves at Ember
September 16, 2026
At Restaurant Ember, creativity is part of the air the team breathes, and few embody that spirit more than Hannah, the dynamic Sous Chef whose bold flavours and creative recipes have taken up permanent residence on the menu at Ember.
Hannah’s love for cooking began long before she ever stepped into a professional kitchen. Growing up, she was glued to cooking programmes and spent countless hours watching her mum work magic over the stove. Those early memories planted a spark that would eventually grow into a full blown passion.
By the age of 15, while working as a KP in a local pub, she realised she didn’t just enjoy cooking, she wanted to make it her life.
That decision set her on a path that led to Barnfield College in Luton, where she completed Levels 1 and 2 in Catering and Hospitality, building the foundations of the chef she is today.
Joining Restaurant Ember was a turning point. Working alongside Head Chef James Peck pushed her craft further than she imagined. His mentorship and the fast paced, creative environment helped her see chef life not just as a job, but as a calling.
For Hannah, the kitchen is more than a workplace, it’s a community. She describes it as “a lot of fun… creating beautiful dishes and serving them to customers yourself is a great honour.” The camaraderie is what makes it special: “You’re never on your own either, you always have a team behind you backing everything you do, which makes it 100x better.”
Cooking from the heart
Hannah’s style is all about big, bold flavours. Her Caribbean heritage shines through in the dishes she cooks at home, where she gravitates toward the comfort and vibrancy of the flavours she loves. In the Ember kitchen, she loves working with citrus fruits, using their brightness to lift and sharpen her dishes.
She works regularly with Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil, praising its versatility and the depth of flavour it brings to almost any dish. And it takes a starring role in her Seaside Madeleines, creating a lovely crisp, golden shell with a subtle nutty flavour.
Her favourite meal of all time? Her mum’s cooking – the place where it all began.
And like any chef, she has those pivotal food moments. A team trip to Fallow Restaurant in London stands out vividly. Trying octopus for the first time there changed the way she thought about food entirely: “It reminded me that great cooking is as much about curiosity as it is about skill”, she says.
When asked about any advice she can give to budding chefs, she said: “Absorb everything from every single person you meet. Never be scared to push yourself, but most importantly, enjoy it.”
As part of our Chefs Choice campaign, Hannah is sharing one of her favourite creations: Seaside Madeleines, a dish that perfectly captures her love of bold flavours and elegant presentation and is served on the menu at Ember.
