He started as a kitchen porter in a Latin American restaurant in Newcastle before moving to York as a commis chef and realising he had a passion for classical cooking.
He moved into Michelin kitchens in his early twenties including Restaurant 74 and Gidleigh Park before achieving his own star with his first restaurant Juniper. He opened 21212 in 2009 with his partner Katie O'Brian and gained a Michelin star after just 6 months.
Following the 2022 spring statement, Tom said, that "some companies aren't even quoting for a year because they don't know where it's going to be in a year's time. It's going to be a case of doubling or maybe even trebling our utility bills - which is massive."
In November 2022, Gareth was named the next LAFONT featured chef, so we spoke to him about all things Ynyshir, his dreams, and the flavours that inspire him at the two Michelin-starred restaurant.
Using only the best produce, Gareth ferments, pickles, ages and forages a wide array of rustic dishes, pulling off incredible flavours and presentation in the process.
The unique approach has resulted in nothing but success for him and his team, pushing Ynyshir to the top of their game, winning award after award including two Michelin stars, five AA rosettes and the prestigious title of Britain’s second-best restaurant according to The Good Food Guide 2022.
In an episode of Grilled by The Staff Canteen, co-host Aaron Mulliss and Glynn Purnell, were asked what the worst culinary hacks were that they've seen in their time spent in professional kitchens.
The chef said that he witnessed "some horrific things" in the earlier stages of his career, but that one of the worst was perpetrated by a chef at a pub inside a hotel in Liverpool.
"The soup was really thin, so I thought, 'okay, we'll thicken it.' So he got a ladle of dirty fryer oil, poured it into a bottle, poured flour in it and whisked it and then whisked that into the soup.
"I said to him, 'what's that?' He said, 'it's called a Scouse roux'"
"The chip fat - the oil was black, so when the soup was being stirred, you could see fragments of small burnt chips floating in the top of the soup."
"So I said, 'what d'you call them, Scouse croutons?'"
Restaurant 1890 offers an intimate and elevated experience, opening for dinner only and seating 26 guests. Gordon Ramsay says that Restaurant 1890; “Creates a blend between unparalleled service, culinary creativity and exquisite wines.
“The tasting menu is seasonal modern French with European influences, prepared with great flair under the very talented Executive Head Chef James Sharp and our hand-picked team.
“It’s the third gastronomic jewel operated by our restaurant group at The Savoy and we’re incredibly excited to offer this new experience.”
James Sharp has most recently been cooking as Senior Sous Chef at Michelin-starred Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay, having joined the Group in 2015 at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Royal Hospital Road.
Merry Christmas to all from The Staff Canteen team!
