Staff Profile: NOEL STAMP

Position: Head-Chef at Portofino
Age: 26 Joined the restaurant:28 June 1999 Initial job: Part-time Pizza Chef
Job History: Work experience at the Blue Bells while at Middlesbrough College.

What do I like about working here? Having a laugh with the lads at work. They're more like a family. I also like the satisfaction of teaching staff new things. I love cooking good food.

Favourite dishes I like cooking: Sea Bass with basil butter and roast cherry tomatoes, Tuna Loin with red pepper coulis, Goat's Cheese and Parma Bruschetta with a tomato chutney. (My girlfriend loves it!)

Favourite dishes I like eating: Tuna, Beef fillet, Goat's Cheese, Beef Carpaccio, Indian food, Sunday Dinner!

Favourite holiday: Florida, Cancun (Mexico), Zante (Greece) Places I'd like to visit: The Seychelles, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Goa, Antigua, Mount Everest...

Heroes: David Beckham, Gordon Ramsey, Sebastian Loeb

Thoughts: "If I had his money, that would make me a better chef, better looking and richer than Gordon Ramsay." "A winner never quits. A quitter never wins!"

Krimo says: Within a few short weeks of starting as a part-time pizza chef, Noel decided to give up catering college and work full time at Portofino.

A couple of years later and through a lot of hard work, Noel slotted into the head chef's shoes. It was then that the real slog began when he had to quickly grow into the role of kitchen manager while going through the pains of becoming an adult.

Nowadays, after much coaching and sparring, laughter and tears, Noel has come to accept, just like we all do, that one never stop learning.

Noel, I am proud of you even if, at times, I could throw you into the Marina.