Squash gnocchi is among Bradley Hull's favorite creations. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"I've always had a high metabolism, thank God!" he laughs when asked about the challenge of a professional life surrounded by butter and cream.

"Sure we're tasting food all the time," he adds, "but many days we never really have a sit-down meal. At the end of the day you may be hungry but it's still an effort to do more than have a drink and hit the bed. Most chefs I know are on the lean side."

Another diversion he's found outside work: archery.

He got acquainted with that sport while working in England, but found the limited hours of archery clubs there rarely suited his work schedule.

"I was riding around Shanghai on my scooter and saw a sign for archery and had to check it out," he recalls. "It was very easy and accessible－there were three indoor ranges open 7 am to 11 pm. You didn't need a license, didn't need your own equipment. Just show up and want to shoot."

He's found the bow-and-arrow practice to be a perfect complement to boxing.

"Boxing is a way to relax the body, but archery relaxes the mind," he says. "You have to let your mind go, have to focus on the target. You can't be thinking about work or personal issues. It's about focus and repetition, and always looking at the next shot.

"You never think about the last shot."