LAUNCHING:
ALEXANDRA DUDLEY
Company:
Alexandra Dudley Limited
THE BIG QUESTIONS
WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL TITLE?
Founder, chef, assistant and everything in between.
WHAT DO YOU DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?
This changes vastly. Sometimes I am cooking for a job or preparing for a speaking/demo event others I am working on recipe development or shooting recipes.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND WHAT CHANGED?
I used to act and sing a lot but I always loved the kitchen. Today, I like all of those things and still love being in front of a camera but the cooking has become at the forefront.
WHAT ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE?
I have GCSE’S A Levels and a BA HONS in Fine Art (First).
WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
Always listen but in the end go with your gut.
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?
Gosh I have many, my father would be one. I have watched him fall and build himself back up countless times and always he has done it with confidence and no hesitation. I worry and second guess myself a lot – it’s a weakness of mine, so I take great inspiration from his confidence especially when things aren’t easy. I’d also say Angela Hartnett, Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers (of the River Café) and Skye Gyngell – strong and determined women who have created beautiful things in food and made the professional kitchen a women’s world just as much as a man’s.
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT?
Probably the freedom of time. I enjoy waking up early and always have done, so I have no trouble with working from 8.00am but I am a believer in smart working and relish the fact that if I like I can stop at 4.00pm and take a long walk home.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR DAILY WORK ROUTINE IF YOU COULD?
I often find there are days or weeks where I seem to run around like a headless chicken. The nature of my work involves many meetings so I am often travelling across London to get here and there. It can be difficult to focus on days where this happens and I can often not get to my laptop and life admin till past 7.00pm which can mean there are often long nights on the computer which I don’t enjoy – terrible for your sleep and back.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF PROFESSIONALLY IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
I’d love to be doing a bit more writing and travelling. I am a big storyteller and there are so many untold stories out there and fascinating people. I’d love to be able to go and tell them.
DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN BE THE SAME PERSON AT WORK AND IN PRIVATE?
Pretty much yes. I often struggle separating my work and social media from myself. In a world where we are constantly checking to see how many likes we’ve received it can be difficult not to take it personally when perhaps it isn’t going wonderfully well. Often I get a bit bogged down with this and worry or lose my sense of self worth but I have a fantastic group of friends who remind me that it is the real people that count.
WHERE AND IN WHAT ROLES ARE WOMEN IN THE LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE AT YOUR COMPANY?
It’s just me at present but I used to run a snack company – Punch Foods and it was all women. Even the head of my factory was a woman – we had a strong female team.
DOES DIVERSITY MATTER TO YOU?
Yes but I do also believe that it is becoming more natural too. Perhaps because of the nature of work I do I have met a lot of different people with various heritages and backgrounds. I love it especially as someone who enjoys food as the world has so much to offer by way of cuisine. Sharing food is a wonderful way to share culture.
HOW GOOD IS YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE?
It has its ups and downs. So far this year it’s been very good. I’ve been travelling quite a bit which has meant I have to work double time at home but I don’t mind it as I know I can switch off a bit when I am away. I actually think it really helps having a little trip (even as small as a day out of London) to look forward too. When things seem to much you can just take a deep breath and know that you’ve got some space and freedom just around the corner.
WHAT QUALITIES DOES BEING IN YOUR ROLE NECESSITATE?
Time management and the ability to spin many plates. Because I work for myself there is no one to remind me what needs doing. I’m often working on three or four things at once so I have to be super organised to ensure I don’t forget anything. I’d love to say I was perfect – I am not and I am often forgetting things but working for myself has definitely given me the ability to handle more things at one time.