With Tom Sellers

Honest. Hard-working. Relatable. Real.

Just some of the words I could think of to represent the super talented globally recognised Chef, Tom Sellers.

Described by some as rockstar or maverick chef, there is more to Tom than meets the eye. It was great to get the opportunity to speak to him and hear first hand about his experiences.

“You can have talent but it takes way more than that, it takes extreme drive and pressure you put on yourself to achieve”.

Tom is dedicated to his chosen field and was able to learn from a number of top flight chefs around the world including Thomas Keller, Tom Aikens and Adam Byatt. His learning wasn’t just about food but the whole dining experience; the service, the music, the culture.

Tom has worked hard to learn his craft and whilst still in his 20s received his first Michelin Star in 2013 for his London restaurant Story, which had only been open for 5 months.

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Creating and curating culinary experiences is what Tom and his team do. He has collaborated with luxury and lifestyle brands including Audemars Piguet (AP), Rolls-Royce and Beats By Dre to produce some spectacular events. When it comes to restaurant Story he says, “it’s nice to get to know the people through our door and share time with them”.

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Tom and I got to chat about all things food as well as other topics of interest including the inevitable lockdown life experiences. One of the things he said he’d really taken from lockdown life is, “freedom to travel and express yourself is precious”. Check out our convo in the link below.

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He has some talented friends in their fields of sport and music which has contributed to some fabulous combinations. Locksmith from Rudimental is one of Tom’s good friends who put together a playlist especially for restaurant Story.

Despite his success and fame (even though he’s not a fan of the word) he has some well known celebrity friends but keeps his inner circle small. As you may have seen from his Instagram @tomsstory during lockdown he and some of his friends have been getting involved with cooking and working out together.

When I asked him if he would consider taking part in a celebrity reality tv show like SAS or I’m A Celebrity he said, “I never became a chef or did tv because I had this desire to become, I guess noticed or famous, which is such a shit word for me but I mean if it’s a byproduct of me achieving in my career, but I obviously did Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen they have all been great experiences. I don’t mind the whole screen thing, I find it quite fun. No desire really to go out there and do it but never say never”.

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Clearly an incredible talent. Through his hard work, determination and sacrifices Tom has achieved so much and remains humble. I knew he had cooked for Hollywood stars like Leonardo Di Caprio but when I asked him if there was anyone he’d particularly enjoy cooking for he said British Chef Marco Pierre White. I thought it was interesting how he viewed other peers as people who continue inspire. Tom is motivated by other successful people in their field of expertise whether its sport, music, fashion or food. He seems to have an appreciation for everyone, which I loved hearing about.

We talked about Basketball Legend Michael Jordan after the recent release of his Netflix documentary The Last Dance. This was something Tom could relate to. He wants to win not only for himself but for his team, which he takes responsibility for. If you haven’t seen The Last Dance, WATCH IT! You do not have to be a basketball fan to enjoy it (although granted it helps if you do) but the messages that come through are powerful.

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I have a huge respect for Tom not only for what he has achieved but for his mindset and openness to share and learn. What stood out to me the most was when we discussed achievement is how so many of us don’t actually take the time to appreciate those moments.

“Being in the moment is one of the biggest achievements you can give yourself”. We often are looking for the next thing and looking forward rather than just taking the time to appreciate the here and now.

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To wrap up my chat with Tom I asked him a few quick fire this or that questions. What do you think he chose when it came to starter or dessert? Take a look at the link.

So there we are. Another vlog out there for you to see, share, feedback on.

Personally I have enjoyed shooting the breeze with each of my special guests so much! even though I am crazy nervous every week on whether the person I am chatting to is feeling it and then if those of you reading and watching like it. Regardless of the nerves I do find myself more and more inspired with each person I speak to. I genuinely love hearing people’s life journeys. So many of us struggle to convey our thoughts or feelings and then you can read something like this and totally relate regardless of location, status or anything like that.

We all should be more accepting of ourselves (myself included in that). I know it’s something I am working on as well as learning to BE IN THE MOMENT.

As Tom said, “be kind to people, be kind to yourself and appreciate each other more”.

Thank you to everyone who is getting involved with AC Shoots The Breeze, it’s amazing to see it’s being looked at in so many different countries. I am very grateful.

Be You.
AC