Chef profile - Adam Humphrey of Arras in York

The industrial interior of the shop in Goodramgate feels more New York than old York with customers sometimes queueing round the block for the fresh baguettes and almond croissants, for Yorkshire sourdough and cinnamon buns.

To keep the counter stocked, Adam starts work at 2am on Friday and works through the night (and the next night) to bring us pies and pastries, ciabatta, focaccia, pissaldierre, lemon muffins and Danish pastries. He lists his bakes every day on his Instagram page.

As well as his skill as a baker, Yorkshire born Adam is a first-class chef. After ten years in Sydney running their own restaurant, Adam and Lovaine returned to the UK to open Arras in the handsome Old Coach House on Peasholme Green.

There they created a smart, contemporary restaurant with an ambitious menu, fine wines and a memorable cheese board. Despite the success of the bakery, Adam admits the restaurant is his first love and says he can’t wait until he is back behind the stove. Nor can we.

What’s the first dish you remember cooking? Aged about five and helping my mum cook a beef stroganoff and cutting my finger. I thought that was quite cool.

Who is your culinary inspiration? My mother was a teacher and a good cook. We always sat down to a proper meal, went to markets and ate in restaurants. Richard Guest at the Castle at Taunton is the most talented cook I have ever worked with.

What was your first cookery book? My mum’s Be-Ro cookbook given away with Be-Ro flour. Later a book from a Channel 4 programme called Kids Kafe. There were good, marinated beef ribs in there. My mum gave me the amazing Larousse Gastronomique.

What do you eat on your day off? I love a really good pizza. Cresci on Piccadilly in York has a wood-fired oven and the pizzas cook in about 90 seconds. I love Italian food. I should have been Italian.

What ingredient and utensil could you not manage without? Salt. I don’t like poor seasoning. We have a house in île de Ré and I bring back salt from there. I’ve had the same Wusthof spatula for 20 years, my brilliant dough scraper and a Victorinox knife my father gave me.

What is Lovaine’s role in the business? Lovaine is the most important part of the business. She is a chef and before having children she cooked with me driving the creative side. She has an excellent understanding of what I’m thinking, often tempering my ridiculous ideas. She has so much experience. She worked front of house for the French chef Michel Bras and was on Heston Blumenthal’s wine team at the Fat Duck. At Little Arras she works on the counter, troubleshoots and at times helps me work through the marathon “Saturday Bake”. She goes where she’s most needed whilst also looking after our two children.

What about the future? I was making plans to sharpen things up at Arras, work on the wine list and make some changes in the restaurant when lockdown happened, so I had to concentrate on the bakery. I want to get back in the kitchen.