From Acid House to Holy Carrot: Inside the Mind of Chef Daniel Watkins

Chef Daniel Watkins has spent decades in professional kitchens, with his approach to cooking driven by endless curiosity and a passion for experimenting with food. As head chef of Holy Carrot, he’s helped build one of London’s most experimental vegetable-led restaurants, where live-fire cooking and fermentation are at the heart of the menu.

Holy Carrot is a long way from where it all began for Daniel. He was raised in Romford, Essex, his formative years shaped by during the rave scene of the 1990s. He speaks of nights spent in fields, immersed in the rhythms of acid house, techno and a sense of total freedom. “It was hard,” he says with a laugh. “A lot of it I can’t actually remember.”

He eventually arrived at a crossroads, realising he needed to get serious and choose a career path. He took a job making biscuits alongside his mum in a bakery. It was there that cooking took hold. The kitchen offered many of the same draws as the rave scene: relentless energy, long hours, camaraderie and, above all, the freedom to experiment. A spirit that still defines the way Daniel cooks today.

In this episode of The Way I Work, we spend the day with Daniel to explore the career that has taken him from a bakery in Essex to one of London’s most talked-about kitchens, and to discover how he’s helping redefine what a modern restaurant – and a modern kitchen culture – can look like. 

Watch the full video on Service95’s YouTube channel here.