Moyo Benson, 38, is the head chef and owner of Nova – a restaurant opening in Heswall in the New Year. This was his working day

8am: I start the day with a cup of black tea. I always use two tea bags as I need it to be strong to keep me going. There is so much to organise with Nova opening in just a few weeks’ time, and I need to be on my best form.

8.30am: I leave for the restaurant. I live nearby so it’s only a short drive. It’s handy being so close as it means I can pop home at various points throughout the day to check my emails and experiment with new dishes for the menu.

8.45am: I arrive at Nova and have a quick update with the joiners. They are working evening shifts, as well as during the day, so I check on last night’s progress and make sure everything is running to schedule.

We have made great strides these past few days. The bar area has been completely refurbished, the skirting boards are up and everything seems to be taking shape.

10am: I call my close friend, Matthew, who lives in Northampton. He is also a chef and we speak at the same time every day to bounce food ideas off each other. We have a word of the day and whatever it is, we use it to create something new and fresh.

Today’s word is “umami” which is one of the basic tastes. Chefs use it to describe when everything comes together. It’s as close to perfect as you can get.

11am: Umami has inspired me to start designing the Valentine’s Day menu early. I head home and make some notes and do some internet research. It has given me the fire in my belly to create something fantastic.

12.30pm: I check my emails and chase a few of the orders for the kitchen. A kitchen is a chef’s work shop and I need all the right tools to produce the best quality dishes.

1.30pm: There is still so much to do so I stop for a quick cup of tea and a sandwich.

2pm: I have a meeting with new food suppliers at the restaurant. All of our ingredients will be sourced locally in Wirral and we discuss costs and start dates. My motto is: “If it grows here, I’ll use it.”

3pm: Third meeting of the day, this time with Nova’s landlord, Chris. He has ordered the upholstery for the chairs and gives me an update on the delivery date. We go for a quick coffee before I head back to the house.

3.30pm: At home, I experiment in the kitchen with a few more dishes. Nova’s menu is nearly finished but there are still some ideas I want to test out. One possible choice is a Chicken Jambonette, a stuffed chicken leg with chorizo, served with woodland mushrooms and curly kale vegetables. It certainly has the umami factor!

4.30pm: I head out to do some research. I go to a few different restaurants and bars in Wirral to see what customers are ordering. Nova is Slovakian for “new” – my wife, Jana, is from Slovakia – so I want to offer something different, but it is important to consider people’s tastes.

6pm: Time to pick up my wife from work. It’s my turn to cook tonight, so it’s a good job I have some left-over Chicken Jambonette.