Ask Gaz, Vol 2 - Your knife, kitchen and life questions answered

We’re back with another round of Ask Gaz: the Q&A series where you lot supply the questions and Gaz comes up with the goods.

Last week, we put another the call-out on Instagram for your pressing questions and quandaries and you sent us plenty to get stuck into. We picked some of our favourites, covering first Japanese knives, Gaz’s culinary roots and the important matter of biscuits.

Over to you Gaz…

Do you have a background in the food industry, or are you just really passionate about knives?

I have some background in food, although I’ve never had any formal training as a chef.

When I left school, I worked in a kitchen as a pot wash, and then when George and I lived in Brighton, I spent about a year working as a cook in a care home.

Back then, me and George also had a business called Alright Spud - a mobile jacket potato business. We used to pitch-up at markets and campsites selling jacket potatoes and that lasted for a couple of years in the mid-noughties. We had a blast doing that - I think it definitely sewed the seeds for us doing something else together in the future.

But really, I'd say all of this has come from being something of a kitchenware enthusiast, rather than having a professional background in food. Looking back, we’ve always been keen home cooks, and I’ve always been dead interested in Japanese culture which I think in turn, prompted my fascinating with Japanese knives.

What’s the best option for a first Japanese knife? I’m fairly heavy-handed and have a budget of under £200.

We find that most people buying their first Japanese knife gravitate towards a Santoku, and there’s a good reason for that.

The blade isn’t too long, so it doesn’t feel unwieldy, but it’s still deep and substantial enough to get through bigger root veg and most of the everyday jobs you’re going to throw at it. It’s just a really good all-rounder.

As for a specific knife, that’s much harder to say because what we have in stock changes from week-to-week.

If you live nearby, we always recommend coming into the shop because we can let you try as many as you want and find one that feels right for you. If you’re further afield, get in touch when you’re ready to buy, tell us what you cook, what you’re used to and what you’re looking for, and we can recommend something specifically for you. 

How do you have your tea, and what are your go-to biscuits?

I actually try to stay away from sweet biscuits because I’m a biscuit monster.

I will smash a full packet of biscuits in one go, no problem. So I have to limit my intake because biscuits are one of my biggest weaknesses.

If I am going in, though, my go-to is a Bourbon. I’m also a massive fan of a digestive too.

Editor’s note: Gaz became so distracted by the biscuit part of this question that he forgot to tell us how he actually takes his tea. From working with him, we've noticed lately he's opting for a decaf Earl Grey with a dash of oat milk. He's more sophisticated than you'd think, you know.

What are your favourite chopping boards?

End-grain chopping boards.

They’re the big, chunky ones you tend to see in pictures with nice knives, and they look really good sitting out on a worktop. They're also really kind to your knives too which is always a big consideration for us. 

What would you recommend as a third knife to pair with a petty and a gyuto?

I think the obvious choice would actually be a bread knife, particularly if you buy good crusty loaves or bake your own bread. It’s not as exciting as another Japanese knife, maybe, but it’s incredibly useful.

If you specifically want a third Japanese knife, though, I’d probably go for a Nakiri.

A Nakiri is a vegetable knife – it’s the square-looking one without the pointed tip. They’re really nice knives to use, particularly if you prep a lot of vegetables, and it gives you something genuinely different from your petty and gyuto.

Should I use a steel to keep my knife sharp?

We generally don’t recommend using a steel.

In our experience, steels are often responsible for people over-sharpening their knives. If you reach for one every single time you use your knife, you can end up removing more metal than necessary and eventually creating a big recurve in the blade.

If you really want to maintain your knife that way, we’d rate a ceramic honing rod over a steel.

But the best option is to sharpen your knife properly on whetstones – or have it sharpened on whetstones by us – and then use a strop to maintain the edge between sharpenings. Stropping doesn’t remove metal; it helps realign and refine the edge, so you’re not unnecessarily wearing your knife away.

Got a question for Gaz?

That’s your lot for Vol 2. Thanks, as ever, to everyone who sent a question in – including the ones we didn’t manage to get to this time. We'll try answer a few more on Instagram over the next few days.

We’ll be handing the reins back to you again for Vol 3 soon, so keep an eye on Instagram for the next call-out. Knives, sharpening, kitchen kit, running a shop, Japan, biscuits… apparently very little is off limits.

Send us what you’ve got and we’ll put the best ones to Gaz.