My leadership is dictated by the cooking. My team needs to be conscious of what they are doing and why. Over time we have stripped back things like unnecessary garnishes. The cooking is bolder and more singular. Everything on the plate is considered. I look to lead the team without unnecessary pressure as staff retention is very important. Although the pace in the kitchen sometimes doesn’t leave much time to reflect, we are focused on what we are doing and are dutiful in developing our craft as a team and as individuals.
I don’t come from a fine dining background, I come from honest good cooking, and this grounding is reflected in all that I do.
It requires a bit of a chameleon approach, you have to wear different hats. Personally, I don’t come from a fine dining background, I come from honest good cooking, and this grounding is reflected in all that I do. We have the same suppliers for all the restaurants, although they supply slightly different things.
In terms of each individual site, Timberyard has such a mission, voice and story – such as only serving wild meats. Our restrictions mean that we can really hone in on our craft there. Montrose is outside of these limitations and we are able to serve things like free-range pigs, biodynamic chickens, pasture-raised beef. Haze is a different way of eating as it’s dictated by the pace of an all day environment .
We like to say that limitations breed creativity. We use the term longevity rather than sustainability, as it’s impossible to define what sustainability really is… Longevity for us is an approach to staffing, where staff are able to have a balanced lifestyle, be familiar and confident, and as a result cook better food. It’s also about preserving our links with suppliers, who are essentially the ones who are telling me what goes on the menu. We are also constantly preserving ingredients and getting the most of what we have on offer. It’s about doing the best you can for as long as you can.
Although I am still in charge of the menu, everything becomes a bit more of a group discussion. We see it as a support network. There are multiple view points and everything is very considered. Jo (Radford) adds his spark, Ben (Radford) refines it. We then present it to Andrew and Lisa, who have had far more experience than any of us – over 45 years worth.
We have the same suppliers for each site but each supplier specialises in something different. For us it’s all about nurturing relationships and creating a dialogue. With time and consistency people open up and reward you. It can be tough staying on top of comms but it’s worth it. After a time, you won’t even have to search – suppliers will be recommending you to each other. We want to foster connections that have a sense of fun and joy, and we do that by looking after each other.
We plan about four days ahead, but there are always some last minute changes, sometimes twice daily. The menu has a structure to it and we need to fill and adapt each point to build it. There is also structure to each dish, too, and elements can be tweaked as needed.
We plan about four days ahead, but there are always some last minute changes, sometimes twice daily.
