Gloucestershire &amp; Worcestershire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.roots_-1000x683.jpg" alt="chef sam idione at work in a kitchen in glos" class="wp-image-82516" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.roots_-1000x683.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.roots_-800x547.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.roots_-400x273.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.roots_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>From cooking for David Beckham to rescuing a fully booked dinner service with a blow torch when the power failed, Sam Idoine has had a career full of memorable moments. </p>



<p>Now heading up the kitchen at <a href="https://glosworcs.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/roots-seeds-kitchen-garden-cirencester-gloucestershire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roots + Seeds Cafe &amp; Kitchen</a> in Cirencester, he talks favourite ingredients, life lessons and secret cooking tips.</p>



<p>Over to you Sam&#8230;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-inspired-you-to-get-into-the-industry">What inspired you to get into the industry?</h2>



<p>I moved to Camborne near St Ives in Cornwall at the age of 15 and started training as a professional chef at a local country club. I just really loved creating classic French cuisine and after two years I knew it was the life for me.</p>



<p>I&#8217;ve worked at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, two Michelin Star restaurants [the Clove Club in Shoreditch and Patrick Jeffroy in Brittany] and been a head chef for one of David Beckham&#8217;s summer garden parties! </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-brought-you-to-the-cotswolds">What brought you to the Cotswolds?</h2>



<p>After Covid hit I joined the new, socially distanced fine dining concept, The Scenic Supper, as head chef in 2021, it was socially distanced dining in greenhouses in a Cotswolds field!</p>



<p>I worked in a converted shipping container kitchen, which had a few challenges as it was such a tight space. The Scenic Supper co-founders went on to launch their new dining hub, Roots + Seeds at The Old Kennels in Cirencester and I’ve been working there since its launch in April 2023.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="717" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/2.roots_-1000x717.jpg" alt="chef sam idione at work in a kitchen in glos" class="wp-image-82517" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/2.roots_-1000x717.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/2.roots_-800x573.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/2.roots_-400x287.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/2.roots_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sum-up-your-cooking-style-and-food-philosophy">Sum up your cooking style and food philosophy?</h2>



<p>Running a close to zero-waste kitchen has always been key to everything I do here. My food is influenced by contemporary twists on British and traditional French cooking with a Cotswold twist. </p>



<p>It’s just a dream working with fresh produce picked every day in the garden, it really feeds my creativity in the kitchen. And I really value  having a close working relationship with the wonderful producers within a 25-mile radius, from meat from Jesse Smith Butchers in Cirencester and venison from the Bathurst Estate to fruit from Four Seasons Fruiterers in Cricklade. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="700" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/3.roots_-1000x700.jpg" alt="food at roots and seeds cafe in glos" class="wp-image-82515" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/3.roots_-1000x700.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/3.roots_-800x560.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/3.roots_-400x280.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/3.roots_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-memorable-moment-at-work">Most memorable moment at work?</h2>



<p>One evening at The Scenic Supper, the gas and electricity both cut out mid-service. You can imagine the panic! Our 24 covers were fully booked, and the menu was pre-set and paid for. </p>



<p>As it was the height of summer, some of the dishes were served cold anyway, but for hot dishes, I used a blow torch to get everything cooked. It was quite a challenge that night, but somehow the kitchen brigade managed it.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biggest-kitchen-disaster">Biggest kitchen disaster!?…</h2>



<p>I once dropped a 50-litre pot of beef cassoulet on the kitchen floor just before service. It went just about everywhere in the kitchen, but service continued as normal.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-tired-starving-and-impatient-what-do-you-cook-for-dinner">You’re tired, starving and impatient. What do you cook for dinner?</h2>



<p>Pasta with anything I’ve got in the cupboard and the fridge, or any leftovers. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-would-you-cook-to-impress-a-date">What would you cook to impress a date?</h2>



<p>Beef Wellington.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-your-favourite-chef-and-why">Who is your favourite chef and why?</h2>



<p>Marco Pierre White because of what he stands for. For his excellence at every level and similar to what we do here, being invested in using every part of each ingredient. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-favourite-cookbook-or-podcast">Your favourite cookbook or podcast?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="938" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_-938x1000.jpg" alt="cookbook" class="wp-image-83766" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_-938x1000.jpg 938w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_-750x800.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_-375x400.jpg 375w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_-1440x1536.jpg 1440w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/07/1.book_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px" /></figure>



<p><em>Larousse Gastronomique </em>is an all-time favourite and an absolute classic culinary reference book. I bought it when I first started my training years ago and is the one I keep returning to for ideas and it continues to inspire my dishes. I don’t really listen to podcasts. </p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-cocktail">Favourite cocktail?</h2>



<p>I can’t resist a Negroni!</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-restaurant">What’s your favourite restaurant?</h2>



<p>The Clove Club in Shoreditch. The food is consistently delicious every time I visit. I never leave disappointed.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-things-to-eat-when-you-re-on-holiday">Favourite things to eat when you’re on holiday?</h2>



<p>Tapas. You can try lots of different dishes in Spain’s great value tapas bars. They all show off the special ingredients cooked in the traditional ways of the region you’re in, so you get to try a good selection of the best of where you happen to be. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-1000x1000.jpg" alt="chef sam idione in a garden" class="wp-image-82523" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/1.rotsseds.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-kitchen-gadget-ever">Favourite kitchen gadget ever? </h2>



<p>A knife steel. I use it every day and is my continual go to kitchen utensil. Easy to hold, it’s a wonderful, simple design that never breaks or wears out.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-current-food-trend-you-love-and-one-you-wish-would-vanish">A current food trend you love, and one you wish would vanish?</h2>



<p>Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisine. Simple, but stunning depth of flavour, be it soups salads, grills or breads and dips. I hate Smash Burgers, always overcooked, dry and flavourless as all the meaty juices have has been pressed out creating a flat, burnt sliver of meat. A fat, juicy patty is key to a good burger.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_-750x1000.jpg" alt="food" class="wp-image-82521" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/8.roots_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-ingredient-are-you-loving-right-now">What ingredient are you loving right now?</h2>



<p>Grains, especially ancient grains such as wheat varieties like Spelt, Emmer, Kamut, Einkorn plus Millet, Barley, Farro, Amaranth, Buckwheat and Chia. I use them often in salads and add a little of the grain cooking water to the accompanying dressing or vinaigrette.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-one-mistake-home-cooks-always">What’s one mistake home cooks always?</h2>



<p>Not resting protein for long enough once cooked. My rule is rest it for as long as you cook it.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-could-cook-a-meal-for-anyone-in-the-world-who-would-it-be-and-what-would-you-serve">If you could cook a meal for anyone in the world, who would it be and what would you serve?</h2>



<p>My grandparents. I’d cook a Sunday roast pork with all the trimmings, immense crackling and homemade apple sauce. For pudding, it would have to be sticky toffee pudding with custard.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-best-cooking-tip">Your best cooking tip?</h2>



<p>Always brine your protein before cooking using water, salt, sugar and woody herbs like bay, rosemary and thyme as it makes the finished dish much juicier and tender.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="652" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-652x1000.jpg" alt="chef sam idione at work in a kitchen in glos" class="wp-image-82519" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-652x1000.jpg 652w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-522x800.jpg 522w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-261x400.jpg 261w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-1002x1536.jpg 1002w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_-1336x2048.jpg 1336w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/glosworcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/04/6.roots_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px" /></figure>



<p>Find <strong><em><a href="https://rootsandseedskitchengarden.co.uk/cirencester-park/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roots + Seeds Kitchen Café </a></em></strong>at Gloucester Docks, Cirencester Old Kennels &amp; Far Peak in Northleach.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more-try-these">In the mood for more? Try these:</h2>



<p><a href="https://glosworcs.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/11-best-roasts-gloucestershire-worcestershire/">20 Local Sunday roasts with all the trimmings</a></p>



<p><a href="https://glosworcs.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/plant-power-16-best-vegan-and-veggie-eateries/">12 Awesome places for cleaning-eating, vegan and veggie food</a></p>



<p><a href="https://glosworcs.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/rise-dine-14-brilliant-brunch-hotspots-gloucestershire-worcestershire/">14 Fantastic family-friendly brunch spots</a></p>


What’s Cooking? Muddy meets Sam Idoine from Roots + Seeds Café & Kitchen

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