British chef John Blythe prepares authentic British cuisine at Seabrook’s Cock and Bull British Pub. Blythe’s character is as big as the mother country he grew up in.

American chef Kelsey Thomas who cooks up French inspired dishes joins Blythe in the kitchen and his quiet nature balances out the kitchen's personality quite well.

Their beginnings:  Blythe studied at the Westminster School of Culinary Arts in London. His first job in the industry was as a Sous Chef at London’s Circus Tavern (like a dinner theatre) over four decades ago.  He has served the likes of The Supremes, Princess Margaret, The Judd’s, and Roseanne Cash.

Thomas grew up in San Antonio and credits his grandmother for cultivating his palette. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin about five years ago. His first industry job was at a French fine dining restaurant as a prep server assistant. Thomas says that the position taught him to have patience in the kitchen!

In the kitchen: Blythe enjoys preparing traditional British fare. His signature dishes are the Shepherd’s pie or Steak and Mushroom pie. At home, he says he cooks crawfish for a bit of a change.

Thomas’ specialty at Cock and Bull is the Crab-Stuffed Orange Roughy. During his leisure time though, he is partial to creating stir fry dishes.

A special cooking tip to share…  “Presentation is everything,” said Blythe. “People eat with their eyes. Make whatever you are cooking beautiful!”

“This may sound basic, but make sure you have all the ingredients necessary before you start a recipe,” said Thomas. “Otherwise you may make a bad substitution or have to run out and get the ingredient your recipe may be lacking.”

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