‘It’s been my life’: Galton Blackiston reflects on Morston Hall exit
Galton Blackiston says he can look back “with an immense sense of pride” at the job he did over three decades at Morston Hall.
Chef Galton last week stepped away from the Norfolk hotel and restaurant, which has held a Michelin star since 1999.
Galton bought Morston Hall with wife Tracy in 1992, but the pair have now completed the sale to hotelier Henry Elworthy.
The change of ownership was confirmed earlier this year, with Galton staying on for six months to help with the smooth handover transition period.
‘Pressure valve released’
Reflecting on his exit, Galton told The Staff Canteen: “To be perfectly honest, it’s mixed emotions in some ways.
“On one hand, it’s like a pressure valve has been released overnight. I no longer have to worry about breakfast, lunch, dinner, or what’s going on with the staff.
“Things have changed, and I’m the first to accept that change is good, for the right reasons. If somebody wants to look at things from a different angle, that’s absolutely their prerogative.”
He added: “I actually left last Thursday. It’s been very strange, and it’s still going on now, I still wake up at six o’clock, have to do a double take and think, ‘no, I’m not doing having to worry about any of that.’
“The new owner, Henry Elworthy, I’ve given him time to get a head chef and a new team in place.
“I want nothing but the best for Morston Hall. It’s been my life. I have no axe to grind or anything like that. It’s just the right time to be in control of what I want to do.”
Michelin legacy
A huge part of the success at Morston Hall has been built around the longevity of retaining a Michelin star.
“Michelin has been my world,” said Galton.
“Michelin and all the guides have really looked after us, and it’s a testament to the fact we were obviously doing something right.
“But Michelin was everything. Nobody can take that away from me now. I’ve earnt my spurs, 27 years of one star Michelin is all right.”
Asked if he feels he has left a legacy both at Mortson Hall and the Norfolk food scene in general, Galton said: “Over half my life has been at Morston.
“It’s never normally been about myself. I opened the business with Tracy and it was about us trying to do the job properly.
“When we started at Morston, north Norfolk was a bit of a gastronomic desert. Now, Norfolk has really become really foodie.
“So it is a sense of pride. I’m not the type to ever think ‘what
have I left?’. It was always a team effort. There is an immense sense of pride.
“One thing I hope my time at Morston will be remembered for is it was things done right and correctly.”
Staying close to the place that shaped him
After leaving somewhere after so long, many people would look for a clean break. But for Galton, he will never stop having one eye on Morston Hall.
“I’m very much staying in Norfolk - I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
“I’m very excited to be in control of what I want to do.
“Of course I’ll still go back to Morston. I’ve said to Henry, I know the nature of the beast, at a building like Morston Hall, things go wrong. So if anything goes wrong with the building, which is more than 100 years old, I can generally tell you where things are to try and help put things right.
“I’ll always be like that. I don’t ever want Morston to suffer. It’s been good to me.”
He added: “It has been important to go out on my own terms.
“Some of the chefs who’ve come through Morston Hall have gone on to do incredible things, and the team who’ve been with me for years.
“The lady in the office, Liz, the housekeepers who have been with me for a long time, I look back on it with immense pride. It’s been a good time for me.”
Looking ahead
Away from the kitchen at Morston Hall, Galton has become a well-known face for his televised appearances over the years, including as a contestant on BBC’s Great British Menu, and as a guest chef on shows such as Saturday Morning with James Martin and Saturday Kitchen.
With the day-to-day running of Morston now behind him, Galton is looking forward to some new projects.
“After 27 years of Michelin and that dedication and commitment, it has absorbed my life. I’ve got nothing more to prove on that one,” he said.
“Now, I’m really looking forward to being able to say, ‘I can do that’, or ‘I don’t want to do that’. There are still lots of opportunities out there if I want to take them.
“There are lots of things I want to do - a bit more charity work, chef collaborations, private events.
“Mr Martin keeps asking me to do something, so now I can actually think about it!”
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‘It’s been my life’: Galton Blackiston reflects on Morston Hall exit
