Meet Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars finalist - Sam

How did it feel when you found out you were a finalist on Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars?

I felt blessed, proud and it was an eye opener. Blessed to be in a position that so many people had applied for, gone through challenges to get to, but Gordon chose me as one of his finalists! WOW! it wasn’t a position I took lightly - I felt honoured to have been selected.

I was proud because I have worked so hard to get Hot N Juicy Shrimp LDN to where it is, non-stop hard graft for 4 years with proven growth, expansion and profit. To get this far and Gordon Ramsay knows my name and my business, a step away from his investment was a proud moment for me. Not to mention I almost chickened out during the application stage so I am very proud that I followed my mantra of “feel the fear and do it anyway”.

It was an eye opener, as sometimes I tend to underestimate my capabilities but this showed me that I am truly capable of anything I put my mind to.

You take on a variety of tasks throughout the series. Which was your favourite task to undertake?

My favourite task was week 7, I was right in my element as this is what I do every day with my business. I create and edit engaging, mouth-watering content, that makes you feel like you can taste the delicious seafood boils through your phone, which has amassed 55,000 followers on Instagram. I enjoyed interacting with the public, creatively capturing the delicious food using the right angles and editing the video. It was definitely a fun challenge not to mention having Uncle Roger critique our videos was really funny.

Which week did you find the most challenging and why?

My most challenging week was week 6, when we had to run the Lucky Cat restaurant. This was challenging for me as I am dyslexic, it can affect my speech, knowing my left from right and my ability to understand and retain information in a short space of time. Typically in my everyday life I have put measures and people in place to support me, so that I can work at my optimum. However, in this situation I felt vulnerable with the spot light on me, it was very hard to watch back.

But I’m not a quitter, I still rose to the challenge. I actually learnt some really valuable lessons from this challenge and from Gordon that I have since used to improve my business and how I train my staff. Even though at the time I felt embarrassed by my disability, this experience as a whole actually boosted my confidence! At the end of the day elevation comes from pushing beyond your comfort zone. Like Gordon would say to us… it’s time to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

What was your personal highlight from the competition?

My personal highlight was Gordon singling me out twice for my contribution to the challenges. The first time was the healthy meal challenge where my cooking skills were complemented and the sauce challenge where my hustling skills were congratulated. These combined are a personal highlight for me due to the nature of my business, and how hard I work. It showed me that I was remaining true to myself.

What would Gordon Ramsay’s investment mean to you and your business?

The joy that I’d feel if I win Gordon Ramsay’s investment is indescribable! Everything that has been achieved with Hot N juicy Shrimp LDN has been without any loans or investments so having investment, and not just any investment but from Gordon Ramsay will sky rocket our brand and allow it to be an international house hold name, like the Nando’s of seafood boils.