that difficult for you Sue?
No, loads of people have said to me ‘are you going to do it next?’ But I’ve already done Great British Menu and Hairy Bikers so I don’t feel like I have missed out. It’s hard when you are competitive not to have won but I was so proud of Mark for winning. And it’s team effort here and everyone was still here running the restaurant while he was away doing it. It’s done exactly what we wanted it to do because it’s put us on the map.
No, loads of people have said to me ‘are you going to do it next?’ But I’ve already done Great British Menu and Hairy Bikers so I don’t feel like I have missed out. It’s hard when you are competitive not to have won but I was so proud of Mark for winning. And it’s team effort here and everyone was still here running the restaurant while he was away doing it. It’s done exactly what we wanted it to do because it’s put us on the map.
The menu at Eckington Manor
Talk us through the menu at Eckington and are the dishes a joint decision?
Sue: We sit down together and go through each dish. I can’t imagine trying to brainstorm on my own now so I feel really lucky we can do it together and it doesn’t seem such a hard task. As for the dishes we always keep the Eckington beef on, it evolves all the time and at the moment it’s a ribeye beef, the shin which we braise, caramelised onions, mustard and horse radish butter. We get the whole beast in and we just change the cuts as we run out.
Mark: We tend to pull a dish in and pull one out throughout the seasons so we can use the best ingredients at the time. We’ve got an amazing rhubarb soufflé on at the minute with gingerbread ice cream and a rhubarb pouring syrup.
I think throughout the year we will keep placing in the MasterChef dishes so we can showcase them to people.
Has winning MasterChef: The Professionals had a positive effect on the restaurant and why did you choose to do that rather than say Great British Menu?
Sue: We have a different clientele now, they are obviously foodie people who watched the show and they have a preconceived idea when they book. Before we were trying to convert people. We are pushing for a star and so we are pushing that style of food. It was a brave choice to do that style of food and I think now we are getting people who want to eat that type of food so MasterChef has done us the world of good.
Mark: I wouldn’t be ready for GBM. There are some amazing chefs doing amazing things like Michael O’Hare last year. What he is doing hasn’t been seen in the UK, that artistic style, I imagine it sent shocks up and down the country within the industry. What he is doing is very unique. I did MasterChef to get our name out there, we had people in the next village not even knowing we were here! I wanted to showcase our food to a larger audience.
Mark, was MasterChef an enjoyable experience?
I absolutely loved it and I wanted to showcase the food the MasterChef team were getting in for us. The hardest part was the critics, you’re working within an hour and fifteen minutes and you are trying to produce eight plates of food. I’d do it again - I think it’s a brilliant competition!
I absolutely loved it and I wanted to showcase the food the MasterChef team were getting in for us. The hardest part was the critics, you’re working within an hour and fifteen minutes and you are trying to produce eight plates of food. I’d do it again - I think it’s a brilliant competition!
Mark you’ve won a few competitions, are they something you enjoy?
It’s nice to get out of the kitchen and push yourself
It’s nice to get out of the kitchen and push yourself within a time limit – plus it’s fun, coming up with something which gets your style across. It’s an amazing experience and it’s nice to push yourself against other people and see how good you are.
So, what would you say your style is then?
Sue: We’ve both been classically trained but our style has a modern twist to it and we obviously use as much produce as we can.
As a woman working in the industry Sue, how have you found it?
You just have to hold your own. When I was at Ramsay’s and I first stepped in the kitchen I was really shy and timid. I was lucky enough to have someone coax me through it and I didn’t get it beaten out of me. That’s the reality, when you go in it’s sink or swim - but I got a lot more ballsy and feisty. I wish I had spent more of my time proving myself as a chef not proving myself as a female. You end up pushing really hard for the wrong reasons.
So, it has been hard but I really enjoy it and we have another female chef in the kitchen here and I’m really proud about that. Having women in the kitchen changes the dynamics and I think that’s really healthy.
Cooking style
You’ve both done a lot of travelling, is there a particular cuisine that has influenced your cooking style?
Sue: I think Thailand had a big influence and the way they cook there. It’s very clever and some of the places we went to were absolutely amazing and they really pushed the limits.
And out of all the chefs you have worked with who has influenced you the most?
Mark: I think Hywel Jones at Lucknam Park was an amazing mentor for me. I was at a stage where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to carry on in the fine dining industry. But he kept that passion and the competitions really helped me find my own style.
Do you have any ingredients or seasons you enjoy working with more than others?
Sue: Spring – it’s like Christmas day for a chef. The broad beans, the asparagus, the peas, wild garlic, all that comes through. Then there is the spring lamb, all this produce just makes your job so much easier.
Mark: Having our own farm and allotment where we can get most of our vegetables from is amazing. And when the carrots get too big we pickle them or when the quinces are ready we make jam. It’s taken a long time for us to get used to it but when you have an abundance of something it will last you through the quitter months.
What are your plans for the future?
Sue: We are pushing for Michelin standard and what has happened with Mark and MasterChef is our launch pad.
Mark: I’ve worked at a Michelin standard for eight years and that’s where I want to be. I hope one day we can get a star, I think that is most young chefs’ dream.
