SIMON "CRAZYCHEF" HOWLETT	BIOGRAPHY

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My parents brought me to Weymouth when I was seven, so they could run a burger bar, so I have been involved with food from an early age. I started working for them when I was twelve, washing up to start with and progressing on to grill chef. My love of food really started here and from my parents taking me on holidays around the World and encouraging me to try new things.

When I left school I went to Weymouth Catering College, whilst here I also worked at a local Hotel, where I gained valuable experiences from my first Head Chef, who gave me the nickname "Crazychef". After leaving college I went to London and worked at a top Hotel in Piccadily, here I gained further knowledge and experiences. From London I came back to my roots to become a Second Chef at a local 3 Star Hotel.

Life then started to get a bit boring and I started looking for new challenges. This was when I decided to start work in my local public house as assistant manager with the responsibility also of running the kitchen. I love this line of work and it has taken me to places such as Ascot, Wales, Bideford, Taunton and back to Weymouth where currently I am still in the trade.

I have had a love for hot and spicy food for something like the last 15 years but my love for chillies has really grown in the last couple of years. At the public house I now work there are quite a few of us chilli lovers and we are always trying to make the hottest and strangest recipes, using chillies, that we can, each of us trying to out do the others. This is why the Chilli Ice Cream was initially made. It remains today one of the strangest dishes made along with Chillied Pickled Brussel Sprouts, mad by a good friend of mine.

I have never been rigid in my approach to cooking and I think that all recipes can be approached in a flexible manner and are subject to change to suit individual tastes. This is especially true if you cannot find all the ingredients listed or do not like a particular ingredient.

So my golden rule when it comes to cooking is do not be afraid to experiment with food, always look at a recipe as though they are just guidelines not to be folowed by the letter of the law. If you think it will work then to hell with waht everybody esle thinks, as long as you like it try it.

I love to cook anything with chillies!!!!!

I grow my own chillies through the Summer and make plenty of chilli sauce for myself and my friends with a little bit left over to sell.

I also make chilli chutney and pickled chilli eggs and onions, chili bread and chilli pickled garlic. For dessert, Chilli Ice Cream and Chilli Praline. Also I love to cook seafood, fresh pasta, Chinese and Indian recipes.

I cook using any strange herbs or spices that I can lay my hands on, having brought back all sorts from my travels to various countries such as America, Canada, Thailand, China and Europe.

At the moment I am having great fun using the Australian bush herbs and spices that are currently gaining recognition in England.

Crazychef's own website has long since disappeared. Anyone know where he is these days?