We had a newsagent shop near Windsor and as I approached leaving school, my mother decided that I shouldn’t just be able to run the shop - I should know other things as well.

As I’d been able to cook since the age of 7, she made an appointment with the Great Western Royal Hotel, Paignton, which was on the Great Western Railway line in those days, for me to apply for an Assistant Manager’s job. We got there, I was accepted and started almost straight away. The first place they send you is down to the kitchens to learn how to cook. Eighteen months later, having been sent to the Western Polytechnical College for training, I then had time to apply for my National Service, I was 18 by then.
I was placed at Cardington and then transferred for Square Bashing to Cannock Chase in the West Midlands. As soon as I got there, they looked at my records: cook/chef and I was sent straight down to the Officers’ Mess for the next 6 weeks so I never did the square bashing. I then passed out and was sent down to the No. 1 School of Cookery. I went into my interview with Squadron Leader Chamberlain, who I remember well, he looked down, looked at the papers, looked at me and asked “any relation to Andy Anderson?”, I said, “yes, my dad”. He and my father were doubles tennis champions in the RAF before the war. It was a fascinating story and I could never put a foot wrong after that.
They sent me back to college to complete my training and I became a fully qualified top paid chef and I was only 19 by then. I was then sent back to the Officers’ Mess and put in charge. I got sent out to all sorts of other jobs in the process. I was sent out to supervise all the planning for the AOC’s inspections which they had in the air force and the various air commands once a year. I was getting on like a house on fire, thoroughly enjoying myself. After I was there for 2 years, apparently we were only allowed to stay at No. 1 School of Cookery for 2 years, I’d already been asked to sign on for another 2 years to complete my training and then got paid for a regular airman. I got back paid so I’d done very well already so far.

“He looked at the papers, looked at me and asked “any relation to Andy Anderson?”, I said, “yes, my dad”. He and my father were doubles tennis champions in the RAF before the war. It was a fascinating story and I could never put a foot wrong after that. ”

— Jerry Anderson

One of the Officer’s in charge at the catering school was due to be posted out to France.

He thought he was being really clever, organising the best chefs to go out with him but at the end of the day he didn’t get his post and I got mine to France.
I got to France, to Fontainebleau, and of course had a lot of qualifications behind me. We entered the Hotel Olympia Armed Forces competition: the army, navy and air force competed, and we the air force ones won it. Three of us worked together and we put our entries in as a combined entry and we came top by far. We were good at what we did. In those days, and it still is, the air force was very much favoured by the services for food.
The driver, who brought us back in the coach had also just been posted to France, came in the Officers’ Mess and spotted me, he said “do you want a job? The Chief of Staff has just been here, Sir Theodore McEvoy, he’s looking for a chef to run his household, would you be interested?”.
Then 3 hours later, I was out being interviewed by him and I never went back to camp after that. He lived in a beautiful village and I spent the next two years there. I had some unbelievable experiences. I was a very lucky guy. He actually became the guest of honour at my celebration dinner when I became the president of the Chambers of Trade many years later. The driver was also best man at my wedding.

After 4 years, I went back into my father’s business.

He’d been waiting for me because he was getting to the stage where he was wanting to slow down a bit. I took it over and within 2 or 3 years, I’d got 5 shops making a profit. I then sold the business off, went down to Wiltshire and bought a restaurant. Within a short space of time, we were in the good food guide, the first one in Dorset & Wiltshire.
We then bought a business, selling home-made pies to all the local restaurants. I made 100 a week myself (each one was large enough to cut into 10 portions).
National Service game me a leg up, having already got off to a very good start in the first place. I was good enough to cope with what they asked me to do and a bit more besides, and before you know where you are, you’ve made a success. I must admit, the only thing I’ve ever done in my life are things I enjoy doing. And that’s what life’s all about.