From Hogwarts to Arundel Castle kitchen (From The Argus)

From Hogwarts to Arundel Castle kitchen

5:30pm Monday 9th July 2012 in News

By Charlotte Pemberton

It may not be Hogwarts, but this chef is a wizard in the kitchen.

David Poole has cooked for the stars of the Harry Potter films but is now stirring the cauldrons at Arundel Castle instead of the fictional boarding school.

Head chef Mr Poole, worked on the set of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone, the first of the Harry Potter films.

The chef, who lives in Worthing, worked on the sets of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s Great Hall and Platform 9 and ¾.

He now works at Arundel Castle, which he describes as “a little easier” than his past job.

He would work up to 70 hours a week while working on the film set.

He said: “Working on jobs like that usually means you are up at three or four in the morning to start the preparations and you’re not back until eight or nine at night.

“For the scene with Harry, Hermione and Ron eating in the Great Hall, we had to work through the night preparing all the food so that it looked authentic for filming the next day.”

Mr Poole is now enjoying less demanding hours, working 10am to 4.30pm on a typical day at the castle, and sources his ingredients from the castle’s kitchen garden and around Sussex.

While working in movie catering Mr Poole would have to dish up for up to 1,000 people at a time. Now he prepares an average 150 lunches a day.

Reflecting on his experience, Mr Poole said: “Harry Potter was good because it was such a landmark film and it was great, looking back, to have been part of the making of the first one in the series.”

Despite cooking for the stars, he did not get the chance to meet them during the eight-month job.

However, he did meet Daniel Radcliffe, who plays wizard Harry Potter, two years earlier when he was a chef for the film David Copperfield, in which Radcliffe also starred.

“There were a lot of other stars in that film too; Bob Hoskins, Pauline Quirke, Michael Elphick, “ he added.

The chef has also worked on the TV sets of The Bill and EastEnders.