Behind the Apron with Ewan McFarlane

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to have an incredible team of talented development chefs, each bringing their expertise and creativity to the table. In our Behind the Apron series, we’re diving into what inspires them in their unique roles.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Ewan McFarlane, our Group Pastry Chef. Ewan leads our culinary teams across multiple sites in the UK, and also crafts specialist products for customers he works with directly, such as the Waitrose No.1 Quartz Cheddar & Caramelised Shallot Tarts and Asda Exceptional Ham Hock, Vintage Cheddar and Leek Quiche. Here’s what he said…

Tell us about your journey to become Group Pastry Chef?

I wouldn’t want to say it was a complete accident, but after university, I was on a very different career path in the US, working in news journalism.

A chef’s job then became an option to me and after the initial culture shock of a hectic New York kitchen, I quickly realised it was something I loved and felt at home with.

I eventually worked my way back to my hometown of Nottingham, with stops at some fantastic kitchens in London. I even had the privilege of owning my own restaurant for over a decade!

Five years ago, I moved into development and took on my first role as development chef, before becoming a senior development chef in 2022. In July this year, I was honoured to take on the role of Group Pastry Chef at The Compleat Food Group.

What attracted you to a culinary career?

I was lucky enough to grow up in a family of great cooks who encouraged adventurous eating, which is a polite way of saying I’d get in trouble if I didn’t finish my dinner!

That, combined with the opportunity to travel and experience different food cultures, gave me a real love of cooking. To this day, I think it’s magical how raw ingredients can become something much greater than the sum of their parts, whether it’s baking bread at home or developing a product for thousands of people.

Can you tell us about your latest trawls?

Earlier this summer we had a fantastic trawl in London with the Waitrose team, exploring Mediterranean and Middle Eastern delis and food markets.

On our last stop, I had one of the best things I’ve eaten this year – grilled chorizo with fresh pineapple salsa. I loved the way a classic combination of ham and pineapple had been taken to a new level. It was so simple, but so clever.

What is your favourite Compleat product that you’ve developed or created and why?

It’s impossible to pick a single favourite. The beauty of being part of Compleat is that I can walk into an M&S, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco, Lidl or Aldi and see something delicious that I played a small role in bringing to life.

What is your favourite Compleat product to use in recipes and why? Is there a surprising way to serve it?

At the moment, my favourite Compleat product is the Vadasz Jalapeno Relish. I put it on everything, but lately, I’ve been pairing it with chargrilled fish like mackerel and rainbow trout. It’s absolutely delicious – you’ve got to try it!

A close second is Asda’s Exceptional Beetroot & Feta Dip. With good bread, it makes for a perfect light lunch.

What is your favourite thing about working for The Compleat Food Group?

Apart from working with great people every day, one of the best parts about being at The Compleat Food Group is seeing our products on shelves.

This summer, I was in a remote part of Scotland, and while waiting in line at a shop, I noticed the person in front of me had two products I’d worked on in their basket.

As a dad, it’s my job to embarrass my kids by talking to strangers in public, so I had to ask her opinion! She didn’t just like them, she loved them and buys them weekly.

It was a great reminder that we create products that genuinely make people happy. How many jobs can say that?

Want to find out more about our talented team? Check out our Behind the Apron series with Emily Cox and Lewis O’Carroll.