Description:

A cappella Cafe and Pizzeria Bristol chef interview: Paul Stewart

Paul Stewart is owner and chef at A cappella Cafe and Pizzeria, a popular local institution for people of Bristol in general, and Totterdown in particular. He took some time away from his beloved pizza ovens to tell Guide2Bristol what makes his cooking special.

Hi Paul! First of all, what made you decide to cook professionally?

It was more of a decision to have my own business. My wife worked in catering and I held many positions in marketing and management for large companies. We decided to combine our respective talents and have our own restaurant. As far as cooking professionally, I have been fanatical about food ever since growing up in Australia. I lived by the beach where I would fish and dive for seafood.

At home we had a veggie patch, fruit trees and grape vines. I would come home from fishing, show mum today’s catch and we would experiment with cooking. So I have cooked from a young age, but decided to cook professionally in 2005.

Where were you trained and how difficult was your training?

I am mostly self taught and have cooked all my life. I have a huge eagerness to learn and travelled through Europe, particularly Italy, on a mission to gather as much knowledge about food as possible.

My professional training is directly related to my biggest passion, which is Italian cooking. I worked for 18 months alongside an amazing pizzaiola, Aldo Costa from Naples, who had over 35 years experience. He taught me how to use all the traditional techniques. To be a competent and fast pizzaiola takes at least 2 years. It’s very hot and you get flour everywhere!

There seems to be a real home cooking movement growing. What’s the best piece of advice you would give a home cookery enthusiast?

Grow your own! Taste the difference of straight from the garden. I use my garden for all herbs, tomatoes & root vegetables. It’s a special treat to cook with home grown. If you can’t grow then my other advice would be invest in a quality saucepan, fry pan and knife. It makes cooking easier. Oh, and it’s handy if you can learn how to “toss in the pan”. Practice!

Do you have a favourite gadget in the kitchen? Why?

At work it’s gotta be my double deck stone pizza ovens from Italy (gas of course, forget the electric ones). I can fit 8 pizzas at once. It’s like driving an old car, you have to get to know all its little nuances, but when you do the results speak for themselves.

At home it’s my Bodem coffee grinder. I’d be lost without fresh beans in the morning!

What is your favourite food to cook with? Why?

Pizza. The dough is alive, the toppings can be art. The satisfaction is immediate.

Do you have a favourite cook book? Why would you recommend it to someone else?

The internet is my favourite cookbook. It has everything. Hundreds of seasonal recipes, and if your stuck just type in an ingredient and see what recipes come up.

To sample Paul's cooking, visit A cappella Cafe & Pizzeria

Click here for Bristol Restaurants