The Culinary Journey of a Passionate Chef
- Will Backhouse
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 8
A Life Shaped by Fire, Sea Air & Flavour
I’ve spent most of my life in kitchens—some loud and relentless, others calm and quietly focused—but all of them have shaped the way I cook today.
I grew up in the Ribble Valley, surrounded by incredible produce and a strong sense of food culture. That’s where it all began: a curiosity, a passion, and a hunger to explore more. But I always knew that staying still was never going to be part of the plan.
From Land to Sea
At 23, I took a different route. After earning my Yachtmaster Ocean qualification, I headed out to sea and stepped into the world of luxury superyachts. It was a completely different kind of kitchen—ever-changing, high-pressure, and set against some of the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.
It didn’t take long before I found my way back to where I belonged: behind the stove.
Cooking at sea pushed me in ways I could never have expected. I had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented chefs and cooking for some truly remarkable guests, including members of a Royal Family and high-profile clients from around the world. The standards were uncompromising, the expectations high—but that’s exactly where I thrive.
A World of Influence on Every Plate
Travelling the world changed everything about how I approach food.
From vibrant Mediterranean flavours to refined European techniques and bold, globally inspired dishes, every destination left its mark. I’ve been lucky enough to work with outstanding ingredients and learn from chefs with completely different perspectives—each experience adding another layer to my cooking.
Even now, I’m still learning. Every kitchen, every collaboration, every dish is an opportunity to grow.
Bringing It All Back Home
These days, I channel all of that experience into my own outdoor catering company. Whether it’s an intimate private dinner, a corporate event, or a lively celebration, I bring the same level of care, creativity, and precision that I developed over years at sea.
And sometimes, I like to keep things a little more relaxed.
My street food trailer is one of my favourite ways to cook—serving bold, flavour-packed dishes in a more informal setting, tailored completely to the event and the people I’m cooking for.
More Than Just Food
For me, cooking has never just been about what’s on the plate.
It’s about people.
I love interacting with guests, sharing stories from my travels, and occasionally getting people involved—because food should be experienced, not just eaten. Some of the best moments happen when someone tries something new and suddenly sees it differently.
Turning a Brussels sprout sceptic into a Brussels sprout fan? That’s always a win.
The Journey So Far
With over fifteen years of experience—much of it spent in the superyacht industry—I’ve been fortunate to cook at the highest level, including serving on a 90m private yacht and working as a Senior Chef on a mega yacht catering to Royal clientele.
I trained in Devon and refined my skills further in a Michelin-standard kitchen at The York Arms, building a strong foundation across a wide range of international cuisines. Bread and pastry hold a special place in my heart, but I thrive in any environment where creativity meets precision.
Why I Cook
At the end of the day, it all comes back to this:
I cook to create experiences.
Every dish tells a story—of where I’ve been, who I’ve worked with, and what I’ve learned along the way. And the best part? Sharing that story with others, one plate at a time.
1
Slicing the chicken
If you prefer breast then that's fine
2
Finishing the curry tip
If the curry tastes slightly bitter, do not be afraid of adding a touch of sugar
3
Pastry Handling
I find that if you use really cold butter and a cheese grater then it will be easier for you to make the pastry.
Notes
1
Let's start by making the curry. Slice the onions, puree the fresh ginger and Garlic and set aside. In a frying pan, without oil toast the whole seeds, coriander, cumin etc including the Kashmiri chilli until they begin to pop in the pan. Once the fragrances start to show their power tip them out and then place into a spice grinder, or food processor and blitz to a powder. Now you can add the other dried spice powders to this ad set it aside.
2
In a large stock pan, Sweat the onions Ginger and garlic and sweats for a good 10minutes. Now add all the spices and sweat for a good 30 to 40 minutes. If it seems to be getting too dry, then add a splash of water. Now add the tomato purée and cook it out for five minutes. Now add your diced chicken to the pan coating everything in the lovely spices and onions Next add the coconut milk and the cream, lime leaves and curry leaves. Allow this to cook until the chicken is tender for about an hour when you are happy that the chicken is cooked and tender taste the sauce and seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally the Garam masala. Finish with fresh lime juice. Allow the chicken curry to cool down and when cool place in the fridge this allows the curry and the flavours to mature and develop into something awesome. It always tastes better than the next day or even the day after that.
3
Sift your flour into a bowl and grate your cold butter into the flour. Rub the flour with the butter using your fingertips or do it quickly in a food processor if you wish when you are happy that the consistency are like fine breadcrumbs then you can add cold water and the egg to the mixture and combined it together until it resembles Play-Doh. Squish the pastry altogether and flatten it down so it looks like a round plate clingfilm the pastry and place in the fridge and let it rest preferably overnight whilst your chicken curry cools down.
4
Grab a family pie dish, Lasagne dishes are pretty good for this! Remove the pastry from the fridge the following day and roll out two( using a floured surface) nice rectangles one for the bottom of the pie and one for the top of the pie. When you are happy that you have made the base of the pie with the rolled out pastry, then fill it to the top of your family pie dish with the delicious curry filling now plays the second piece of pastry on top of the pie and crimp the edges using a fork or your fingers. Put a couple of slits in the top of the pie so it looks like a little Air pocket and brush the pie well with a combination of egg yolk and milk preheat your oven to 170°C if it is a fan of Oven that is and if it's something else then just google it ha ha ha ha. Bless pie in the oven and when it looks golden brown and fantastic it is ready lets the pie rest for a good 15 to 20 minutes. I usually use a probe to just make sure the centre of the pie is hot. I find it best served as temperature around 70°C.
Instructions
Head Chef
Will Backhouse
Butter Chicken Pie
Butter chicken isn't just a curry, no no no! It's an experience of bangtastic flavours and what's even better about this dish is that it collaborates English Pie passion with one of the best and most popular curries of our time. Hard to believe I know. However, if you head to New Zealand, these are in the gas stations ready to go, amongst other fantastic mouthwatering pie's. Please please try. You won't be disappointed.
4-6 Servings
How long it takes to make
2 Days
Cooking Time
45 mins
Rest Time
15 min
Total Time
2-3 hrs
