Meet The Chef: Sabrina Gidda Of BAM Karaoke

Can you please share some insights into your culinary journey, from opening Bernardi’s to being Executive Chef at AllBright? 

I had the most incredible time at Bernardi's (now the Italian Greyhound), it was an incredible three years of building something very special and I am so proud to have been mentioned in the Michelin Guide in that tenure. Both Bernardi brothers allowed me to approach Italian cuisine with a particular type of freedom that owners often do not grant. The intension was to create something that honoured tradition, but nurtured innovation and creativity and I really think we did that well. I consulted on two international projects for Italian based concepts after this and then was approached about the Allbright Executive Chef position. Championing women led projects was not new to me (I had been Head Chef at The Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden many years earlier). The idea of leading an international project that put women front and centre was something I could not decline. I joined the initial club in Fitzrovia to establish the food ethos and style, before opening Mayfair and Los Angeles clubs. It was a wonderful opportunity to network internationally with some remarkable women, brands and businesses. It has always been my goal to run my own business and after an incredibly varied and exciting time at Allbright - it was time for me to focus on that. In 2021 I made the decision to focus entirely on my own projects. 

You’ve contributed to magazines and appeared on very well-known television shows including MasterChef and Great British Menu - how have these experiences shaped your love of cooking? 

I love cooking, in personal and professional contexts. I cannot envisage my love of produce, culture, history, heritage and craftsmanship within food and hospitality ever dwindling. It is a very special realm within which we operate. It isn'y for everyone, it can be tremendously challenging and often frustrating but also tremendously rewarding. Television can be great fun - and when you compete in these shows you want to do yourself proud - but the most important lesson I have learned is about visibility. If you cannot see it you cannot be it - and representation is an imperative part of progression in television and publishing. The most important part of these shows is occupying a space and showing as many people as you can that if you are there - they can be too. The most wonderful thing was receiving messages from two female Chef's saying they saw me compete and it gave them confidence to do the same. 

How is your consultancy business different from working in the kitchen and how do you see those skills intersecting? 

I come from a background of Fashion Design / Fashion PR & Marketing and I have always found these skills to have a really great synergy with the hospitality world. When I worked in kitchens, it was nurturing creativity, inspiring innovation, refining profitability and driving consistency in the same setting and business model. The work I do now is much the same but is framed within a scene of changing client landscapes, requirements and international food cultures. The disciplines of running a kitchen and leading a brigade has been the perfect foundation for the work I do now - because I have an intrinsic understanding of the operations of kitchens and hospitality businesses along with a clear vision on creating beautiful food. So its never just about delivering a top line great idea - it's about the actual operational delivery of the offer and how it will work in its physical sense and conceptual sense. Once this is set, its about detail driven refinement and I am happy to help clients with as much or as little as they would like. I think this is why my clients enjoy working with me. 

London is known for its diverse culinary scene. How has the city influenced your culinary skills and the development of your cooking style? 

London is an incredible place to eat. It is so important to me to be curious, wherever I am in the world because there is always so much to learn. This city has always seemed to me to allow people to bring their ideas to life. I would say that my style of cookery has long been established - global, eclectic and vibrant - and is certainly nurtured by cosmopolitan cities with great food scenes. Different cultures, culinary disciplines and food offers all jostling along side one another is exciting. I think this is a reflection of my own journey too - multi cuisine, multi technique, multi cultural. 

The hospitality industry has historically been male-dominated. What steps do you believe can be taken to promote gender equality and create more opportunities for women in leadership roles within the culinary field?

There are some incredible initiatives that celebrate women in hospitality and some incredible women who are vocal about the under representation of women in senior roles and I think businesses need to make solid commitments to actioning change here. Gender equality and racial equity is essential. I certainly feel there is a galvanising of energy between women in Culinary - to continue helping to hold doors open for each other - but male allyship is an essential part of this too. If you run a food business and you don't have any female representation - I think you need to ask yourself why and what you plan to do about it. Equally if you work in the hospitality or foodservice sector and you don't have strategic development plans to get your junior women employees into more senior roles - you need to think about why that is, why you aren't making room and who's help you need to make it happen. I am keen to see real change here - and the sooner the better. 

Team dynamics are crucial in a kitchen. How have you fostered a collaborative and supportive environment among your staff? 

 Curiosity is huge. I think as a leader you have to register that everyone can contribute something that can help and make a difference. So you need to listen and action and also empower people to decision make. The key for me is to build confidence in the team. All skills can be learned, technique and speed refined and creativity nurtured - but attitude to work is something that someone either has or doesn't. Talking about ingredients, food, ideas is a joy - and to do that as a collective of chef's creatives the most incredible energy. If a junior chef is excited to have come up with a wonderful dish and they are excited, but perhaps haven't considered the cost of ingredients, portion size or balance of the dish - this is where you would lean in to lend your expertise and knowledge. The aim is not to shut down the creative process because not everything has been considered - but to encourage development and collaboration to see the dish to fruition. I love the fact that we can conceive ideas individually and then develop and deliver as a team. Respect, understanding, positivity, creativity, work ethic and commitment to craft have always been the most integral parts of my teams. 

Can you talk us through BAM - what makes it a unique venue and how did you go about designing the menu? 

BAM has been an incredible project to work on. Playful Parisienne energy landing in London can only be a good thing! The founders wanted something a little different, that reflected the origins of the business but also registered the fun and vibrant food scene in London. The aim was food to have with drinks, drinks to have with food and all of this to fuel your best rendition of your favourite Karaoke track. BAM is about having fun! This is something we try to reflect in the food, the programming and the service. There are some playful takes on classic French items reflected in the menu - such as confit duck & orange marmalade flatbread (a nod to duck a l'orange) and a cute grilled cheese croque monsier toastie that sit alongside some of our favourites such as a Merguez Haute Dog and some hot honey fried chicken.

Your partnership with Vacherin will also see you train young chefs - what excites you most about this? 

I am excited to be working on some wonderful projects with Vacherin. It is an intentional decision for me to act as a changemaker in the field of women in hospitality, progressing Diversity & Inclusion programs and also championing the next generation of talent in hospitality. I think mentorship is imperative - and young people really want to have some open and honest conversations about their choices for education, work and opportunity. Vacherin is an incredible business - they really look after their people and we have a natural alignment with what we would like to achieve together. Encouraging young people into hospitality is the most essential part of succession planning. Being a chef has opened up some remarkable opportunities to me - and I am keen to share this insight with others, but also helping establish clearer pathways from education into careers in hospitality. I personally love the excitement I get when I am lucky enough to visit hospitality colleges. There is an intangible energy that comes from colleges - it is a whole building full of potential and possibility. The aim is to work with young chefs and help steer them into the industry with great mentorship. I can't wait to share our plans soon.

Can you share some advice for aspiring chefs, particularly on how to navigate and succeed in the highly competitive and dynamic culinary world? 

I would always suggest asking for advice. You may be lucky enough to have someone close to you or in your industry for help - but if you do not, send the email, write the direct message - try to connect. And ask the question - I would like to think as an industry we are always on hand to help. I make a point of replying to all of the Junior chef's that reach out to me - and whilst my replies often are not immediate, the response is guaranteed! Work hard, commit to your craft, make notes on absolutely everything and aim to be better every day. If you have a day that is not brilliant - thats ok, tomorrow we try again and we use yesterday's learnings to keep building. You will work within businesses and restaurants for much of your career but the person you really work for is yourself. The aim is to be as good as you can be, pretend your name is on the front door. Is it seasoned correctly, does it look beautiful, is the plate clean, does it best represent the effort, time, skill and energy you have given to your work? Enjoy your craft, look after yourself and do what you love. 

BAM Karaoke

Address: 74 Victoria St, London SW1E 6SQ

Bookings: https://uk.bam-karaokebox.com/