Creative Cooking in Quarantine: Jago Randles’ Hotel Room Culinary Adventures

British chef Jago Randles had just moved to Canada to work for the busy ski season. However, he faced a challenge: government guidelines required him to self-isolate in his hotel room for 14 days upon arrival.

Quickly missing the joy of cooking, Jago decided to get creative with the limited tools at his disposal. Over the two weeks, he grilled chicken on an iron, poached eggs in a coffee maker, and even crafted delicious dishes that captivated his audience on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. His culinary efforts attracted attention, culminating in a video from Gordon Ramsay, who complimented Jago’s cooking skills.

“I chose a hotel room with a microwave and a fridge, but after the first day, I realized I didn’t want to live on ready meals and takeaways. I began making a bacon sandwich on the iron, which turned out quite well, sparking creativity about what else I could cook in the room,” Jago explained. With a comprehensive collection of knives and kitchen utensils as a working chef, he felt well-equipped to prepare a range of different meals. After initially using the iron for simple dishes, he progressed to using a coffee machine for eggs and steaming vegetables.

His culinary creations included a variety of dishes: bacon double cheese burgers, grilled salmon with pak choi, French toast with caramelized bananas, eggs benedict, tacos, grilled kebabs with hummus, Crème brûlée, and blueberry pancakes. Jago began posting videos and photos on his Instagram story, eventually leading his friends to encourage him to share them on TikTok. Within just 24 hours of his first upload, he amassed 100,000 views, leading to exponential growth in his following. The reactions were mixed, with many viewers expressing amazement at the appetizing dishes he produced with minimal kitchen tools, while others questioned the cleanliness of his workspace.

“It’s a controversial way of cooking. Nevertheless, there will always be critics alongside supportive voices. The positive feedback I’ve garnered has significantly outweighed the negative. While some people raise concerns about hygiene, as a chef, I ensure cleanliness is paramount. I wrap the ironing board in cling film for protection, and I clean all surfaces with hot soapy water just like I would in a professional kitchen. Additionally, I use greaseproof paper or foil to prevent food from coming into direct contact with the appliances,” Jago elaborated.

Culinary celebrity Gordon Ramsay was one of those impressed by Jago’s ingenuity, critiquing his meals on social media and stating, “To be honest, that looks like some decent food, certainly some of the best food I’ve seen in any hotel.”

“I would say it was a huge success, and I managed to cook some pretty tasty meals. For anyone considering a similar cooking venture, I encourage you to give it a try, but exercise caution to avoid any property damage or fire hazards! Ultimately, my hotel room cooking kept me entertained during quarantine, and it seems to have offered amusement to others as well, which brings me great joy. I plan to continue creating videos in Whistler and hope to further explore my culinary creativity – who knows, I might even attempt some cooking on the slopes!”

The entertaining cooking videos from Jago are available on his TikTok.