Jamie Henderson of Wagamama on Food Innovation and Team Culture with Kieron Bailey

Hosted by Kieron Bailey on Restaurant Talk by Save Fry Oil

Guest

Jamie Henderson - Food Development Chef at Wagamama

• 18 years in hospitality, 16 years with Wagamama
• Started as line chef in Leicester, worked his way up through the ranks
• Spent time opening restaurants in the US (New York, Boston)
• Currently part of the food innovation team in London

Key Topics Discussed Early Career & Wagamama Journey

• Started at Wagamama Leicester (High Cross) straight out of college at 18
• Originally looking for summer work, fell in love with fresh Pan-Asian cooking
• The impact of open kitchens and family meal culture
• Working alongside memorable characters like "Tom on Teppan"

Food Innovation & Development

• Current role in Wagamama's award-winning food development team
• Recent trips to Asia with Steve Mangleshot for menu research and cookbook development
• Focus on whole vegetables vs. processed vegan proteins
• Signature innovations: watermelon tuna, vegan squid using king oyster mushrooms

Kitchen Culture & Leadership

• The importance of family meal and team bonding
• Mentoring younger chefs using the "Kaizen" philosophy (getting better slowly every day)
• Real-time feedback and maintaining standards on the cook line
• How teams pull together during busy services

Restaurant Operations

• Explanation of Wagamama's unique service style (no starters, fresh-cooked sides)
• KDS (Kitchen Display System) technology and its impact
• New self-filtering fryer technology and sustainability initiatives
• Managing customer expectations around the fresh-to-order model

Personal Insights

• What keeps him motivated after 16 years with one brand
• The power of relationships with suppliers