How a Track Athlete Became a Top London Chef: Kerth Gumbs on Caribbean Cuisine & His Mother's Legacy

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Kerth Gumbs, Chef de Cuisine at Fenchurch in the Sky Garden and one of the most exciting voices in modern Caribbean cuisine. From his humble beginnings in Anguilla watching his mother Daphine cater weddings and funerals to mastering French technique under legends like Joël Robuchon and Tom Aikens, Kerth’s journey is a testament to the power of heritage, discipline, and cooking with purpose. After representing the UK at the World Championships in track and field, studying at Le Cordon Bleu, and working his way through Michelin kitchens across London and Singapore with Jason Atherton, Kerth is now championing bold Caribbean flavours whilst honouring the traditions of his island home.

Kerth prepares his beloved Jerk Steam Sea Bream with Escovitch Vegetables and Coconut Dumplings, a deeply personal Easter dish that beautifully encapsulates his cooking philosophy. Using whole sea bream seasoned with aromatic jerk paste, garlic salt, and sazon complete, sweet julienned peppers and onions sautéed with thyme and finished with Chardonnay vinegar for that classic escovitch tang, and fluffy coconut dumplings made with coconut milk powder for richness and body. Steamed en papillote with knobs of butter to sweeten and round the spices, this is humble Caribbean home cooking elevated with French technique, celebrating the incredible seafood and bold flavours of the islands whilst remaining accessible, affordable, and deeply comforting.

Throughout the episode, Kerth shares his remarkable journey from chasing wild goats in the Anguillan bush to fund his travels to becoming captain of his island's track team and earning a scholarship to train in Jamaica, why his mother's ability to cook rice and peas to perfection in massive Dutch pots remains a skill he's never mastered, and how his coach suspended his athletic scholarship for six months which ultimately led him to cooking. He discusses the importance of learning to count from one to one hundred in French to secure his job at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, why working double the hours for free meant gaining double the knowledge, the brutal but transformative years in Michelin kitchens where his diploma meant nothing until he earned his stripes, and why managing yourself is just as important as managing others. Kerth also opens up about his mission to give back to Anguilla through mentorship at the island's first hotel Malliouhana, why Johnny cakes with barbecue is his death row meal, and how being relentless and making yourself an asset to yourself has shaped everything he does.

You can find Kerth’s full Jerk Steam Sea Bream recipe on the Filippo Berio website at www.filippoberio.co.uk/theo, and be sure to visit Fenchurch at the Sky Garden to experience his modern Caribbean cuisine for yourself.

The Recipe podcast is hosted by Theo Randall, Chef Patron at the Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. In each episode we meet a special guest who loves food, and they'll tell us all about their favourite recipe as we celebrate the stories behind the dishes that define us.

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