Out of office – Decon Pete on growing his own fruit

Out of office – Decon Pete Pete Gibbons – also known as Decon Pete – talks about growing his own food and what it’s like being a trained chef.

Please introduce yourself?

My name is Pete Gibbons, and I am the owner of PG Independent Dental Consultancy AKA Decon Pete.

I have been working in the dental industry for more than 15 years, for various companies, and more recently have decided to go out on my own.

I have been married to my gorgeous wife, Bex, for almost nine years. We have two daughters aged five and two years old, a 10-year-old Border Terrier called Miley and, as of today, a hamster called Bella.

What do you get up to in your spare time away from dentistry?

We live on the edge of a nature reserve. So I love taking the dog for long walks through the woods and discovering new things. Our eldest daughter loves collecting random sticks and branches from the woods, which always seem to find their way home.

My wife is green fingered, so we grow our own fruit and vegetables, which the girls love to help with. We think that it’s important for our girls to understand where their food comes from so try to get them involved with everything from growing to cooking.

During the first national lockdown I found an affinity with wood and made lots of items for our home and garden, in particular a picnic table and bench for my girls. I have continued this hobby and have decided to set up a Facebook page showcasing some of my projects.

Are you a foodie? Why and what particular food do you go for?

As a family we are all very much foodies. I trained as a chef at university and have worked in several restaurants as head chef. I like to cook all types of food, with a particular interest in oriental meals.

Also, I love making bread, with my eldest, which we do almost every weekend. When I was younger my ambition was always to open my own restaurant. Although this has been substituted with dentistry, I have never lost my passion for creating exciting recipes for my family to eat.

What type of television/movies do you like – any guilty pleasures?

I am a bit of a sci-fi fanatic and love all programmes or films of this nature. I very rarely get a chance to watch anything on the TV as it is usually occupied with Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig.

When we do get some time to ourselves, we tend to watch any Netflix series that happens to take our fancy.

Why is it important to have hobbies away from dentistry?

In today’s busy society it is extremely easy to get bogged down with the stress of work life, and sometimes work can overrule everything. It’s important for our own mental health to have some time to ourselves and switch off from the day-to-day stress.

Having a hobby is important for everyone’s wellbeing and can help re-focus the mind and de-stress us.

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