My passion for Kitchen Knives
Back in 1984 I started an apprenticeship within the catering industry. I remember receiving my very first wage packet but rather than blow it on music and clothes like any other teenager might, I decided to invest mine in a kitchen knife.
Not just any old kitchen knife mind. This was a 20cm/8 inch all-purpose knife made by German company, Gustav Emil Ern. Something like this…

I remember feeling a real buzz of excitement when the store owner unlocked the glass cabinet and placed the knife in my palm. The sleekness of the handle, the perfect balance as it sat in the hand , even the glint of high quality stainless steel as it caught the light was something that sticks in my mind even now.
I parted with my £25.00 (just under half my wages in those days) and walked out of the store. That’s how my love affair with kitchen knives started.