William Drabble is the executive chef at Seven Park Place in St. James’s Hotel & Club in Mayfair, London. The avid football fan was born in Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool, and later moved to rural Norfolk, where he developed his passion for seasonal and fresh produce. 

William launched the Seven Park Place restaurant in 2009, and a year later gained a Michelin star. Prior to that he spent more than 10 years at another one-star restaurant, Aubergine in Chelsea. When he's not in the kitchen, William enjoys spending time with his family and following the Liverpool football team.

The best advice I ever got

Keep your head down at school and get a good education. I wasn’t always very good at listening.

My life motto

If you want something in life you have to work hard for it, no one is going to give it to you.

I am currently reading

I’m not a great reader, to be honest, the only thing I am reading at the moment is too many emails.

My most played music track

Bitter Sweet Symphony

If I didn’t do my current job I would be

I don’t know, something with my hands, it would have to be something creative.

Skill I don’t currently possess but would like to have 

Computers drive me mad so probably more knowledge about them to make my life easier so I could spend less time in front of one. 

My favourite kind of exercise

Walking through the countryside, I love the lakes, but it’s a bit far to go daily, so I walk a lot down by the river. It’s not quite the same, but there is no traffic, and it’s not too far from my house.

I relax while

I potter around in the garden. When I do that, I don’t think about anything else.

I collect

Cookery books, loads and loads and loads of cookery books. 

My essential newspaper/magazine

I go online and read the news on the way to work to see what is happening in the world and with Liverpool FC. 

My desert-island wine

I don’t really drink a lot, to be honest, probably a nice glass of red. 

I have learnt a lot from

I am very observant, and I am always watching how people do things, how people react to different things and different situations. I am constantly learning and analysing everyone and everything around me. So mainly observation, probably because when I was younger, the chefs I worked for didn’t give you a recipe, you had to learn through observation, and you had to learn quickly! 

My last meal and sip will be

Cheese and pickle sandwich and a good cup of tea (make sure you warm the pot first!!)