Lucy Foster talks to the restaurateur who wants to educate people about what they are eating

CHEFS are renowned for their ability to bubble over if their kitchen space is invaded, but at The Egg Café there’s no danger of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

“All the staff here are trained to cook the different recipes we have on the menu,” says chef and owner Michael Bagriyanik. “By sharing the role, there’s not so much pressure on one individual to do everything.”

Born in Turkey, 45-year-old Michael has been in the catering business for the last 25 years, much of it spent in Liverpool.

Noting the growing trend for healthy eating, he was one of the first to capitalise on the growing café-culture phenomenon, opening The Doorstep Café, on Slater Street, in the 1990s.

“I’m very passionate about good service, which also means awareness of what you’re eating,” he says. “Many people don’t actually know what they are eating when they eat out, but it has always been my goal to give people the choice of what will be in their dish. At Doorstep, we took awareness to another level.

“I introduced a range of sandwiches which other businesses were not doing at the time. For example, I would use low- fat spreads and wholemeal breads which was quite alien back then.”

“(Back then) in the nineties, there was Cream in Liverpool and the whole rave culture,” Michael adds. “In the café, we had pictures of all the drugs like ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis and beside them the effects they had.

“We also provided leaflets on drugs and gave out condoms and leaflets on Aids awareness – which was still misunderstood at the time. These were very controversial moves, but I feel we helped shape Liverpool culture.”

After taking on drug culture in the nineties, in the organic-obsessed noughties Michael is turning his attention to healthy eating with The Egg Café, on Newington Street, which he took over in July last year.

“In the media now, you see fair trade and organic products and everybody believes this to be a new thing for the 21st century,” he says. “I realised a long time ago that doing my own shopping pays. I go straight to the action where the food is produced and buy the products there. Currently, the supplier I’m using is in Cheshire, at Cholmondeley Castle, where everything is free range. It’s tough sometimes doing the shopping and running the café but it pays off and we can supply our customers with reasonably-priced, healthy food.”

Although not formally trained as a chef, Michael took a three-month vegetarian and vegan cooking course at John Moores University, which he says helped him become aware of food allergies and intolerances, as well as learning to cook dishes.

This awareness, which he has passed on to café staff, has made the place popular with people whose dietary choices may be limited in traditional restaurants.

“Much of our food caters for these kinds of problems through the ingredients used,” Michael explains. “For example, instead of flour we use products like Sosmix which is used in our spicy bean burgers. I feel this gives us an edge because we can adjust the menu to suit customers’ needs.”

Although he runs a vegetarian café, Michael is a meat eater. “I am not a vegetarian but, like many people, I enjoy the food that is made here,” he adds. “I have three young boys at home and believe that food is a lifestyle choice. It makes me angry when I learn that people are forcing their kids into being vegetarians or vegans. These children, I feel, not only need the nutrients from many products but should be free to choose what they eat to develop their palate.”

Traditionally a hangout for the arty/student/environmentally conscious crowd, recently The Egg Café has seen a boom in the number of business people popping in. The introduction of a lunchtime set menu – with the option of tailoring the dishes to your requirements – has, it seems, been a hit with the “suits”.

“The atmosphere is so relaxed – it’s like a retreat where you can just come in by yourself and read the paper and have a coffee,” says Michael.

A very interesting policy regarding payment means The Egg café is also becoming a must-visit destination for tourists. Says Michael: “We take any kind of currency which our customers find fascinating. It just adds to the feel and difference of The Egg.”