Josh Angus, HIDE: ‘The busiest Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK'

Driving and maintaining the standards at a Michelin-starred restaurant requires constant attention to detail.

Add to that overseeing a team of more than 50 chefs and running three services a day, every day, it is no surprise Josh Angus quipped “sleep” when asked for his future plans.

Josh joined HIDE ahead of its launch in 2018, working as head chef under Ollie Dabbous.

Following Ollie’s departure from the Mayfair restaurant earlier this year, Josh stepped up to his new role as chef director.

Having started out at Sheffield College around two decades ago, Josh’s career has seen him work at the likes of Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Elystan Street and L’Autre Pied, as well as spells as a development chef and private chef.

“What led me to become a chef, I would say is school,” Josh explained.

“I wasn't the best student. The only thing that kept me entertained was probably football and girls. The only other thing that excited me was actually home economics, baking cakes and stuff like that.

“I was a bit of a naughty boy and then I started to do that at school and it got me really excited and I went to go and do it for an apprenticeship, one day a week.

“It just went from there, working in restaurants and I have been a chef 19 years now, in Michelin kitchens for 15 or 16 years.”

He added: “There’s probably two defining moments in my career so far.

“Way back when, after I finished at Le Manoir, I actually got out of cheffing for about a year because I had a double hernia and had to have the operation three times.

“I ended up getting a call from a friend and went to Hong Kong and worked for Shane Osborn, at his two star. That was what got me back into cheffing basically.

“And obviously coming to HIDE, starting as head chef, and working my way up to chef director, where I am now.”

Running HIDE: 300 Breakfast Covers and 130 staff

Giving an overview of what HIDE offers, Josh explained: “HIDE is a seven-days-a-week operation. In terms of the kitchen, we have 56 chefs, 14 KPs and around 70 front of house as well. So around 120 to 130 staff at HIDE alone for breakfast, lunch and dinner, only shut two days a year, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

“We’re very well known for breakfast. In terms of covers, it’s definitely our busiest service. We can average from 180 to 300. I think the most we've ever done is 340 covers for breakfast - a very spicy day that day!"

The much talked about breakfast menu at HIDE includes signature dishes such as ripe honey mango with Thai basil and kaffir lime, buckwheat pain au chocolate, black truffled scrambled eggs on toast and a HIDE full English.

HIDE operates across three floors, with a wine cellar and basement bar, connected by a stunning centrepiece staircase.

Since Josh took the reins, a ‘staircase’ dessert has also been developed, using banana, peanut and caramel.

“Everyone knows that the HIDE staircase is iconic,” said Josh.

“It was made out of one tree, handmade in Poland. Rumours of over £1million, which may be true, but I think there's more pictures of that staircase on Instagram than any of the food or anything. So it's definitely earned its money.

“In terms of the dessert, obviously when Ollie left I wanted to put a few signature dishes of my own on. I came up with this idea of creating a signature dessert and I don't know why we never thought of it before, but I just thought why don't we do the staircase?

“We made it happen and I am very happy with the outcome.

“It not only looks visually amazing, hopefully it tastes very light and beautiful to people as well. I think it's delicious. It's the flavours I love.”

Maintaining Michelin standards

HIDE has held a Michelin star ever since it was awarded one just months after opening.

Discussing the pressure that comes from holding a star, Josh said: “I guess dealing with the pressure of the covers and the standard of what we work at is something that you kind of build into your DNA.

“I've been a chef for 19 years and working at this level for a very long time. It's something I pride myself on and I've got no-one really telling me ‘this is what we need to do’.

“This is why I always try and tell it to the guys that we need to work at this level. But I think generally it's just down to the training and the team. I'd be nothing without the team.

“A lot of them have worked with me for a number of years. My head breakfast chef Edwin has been with me for seven years. Lots of my guys and girls have been with me for five or six years.

“So it's having the team, surrounding yourself with amazing people and just training them and keeping the consistency through systems.

“HIDE is known for being a very busy restaurant. I think we're the busiest Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK.

“It’s all about just measuring your time, but also delegating certain jobs to seniors as well.”

He added: “The aspirations for HIDE and for myself are to just be consistent. I think we've always been consistent, but to continue to be consistent in terms of one Michelin star, seven days a week, pushing the boundaries, whether it be in food, service, wines, whatever it is we do, we always try to do it to our best.

“I think just continue to do that, but also be a successful business. Times are very hard right now and obviously getting covers through the door is the most important thing and keeping budgets and gross profit etcetera tight.

“The main thing for me is being a successful business.

“I’m very happy at HIDE. I'm just concentrated on keeping HIDE busy, getting even busier and even pushing for more accolades.

“I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to get two stars, because we're a very busy restaurant, but if we can continue to just thrive on the success we've had, I want to continue on that.

“Also for me it is to continue to train the younger generation. We do the whole butchery in house, we make charcuterie in house, we have a bakery in house. We're doing things from the beginning to the finish.

“I think it's very important to carry on training the younger chefs. It’s more just doing my time and then I think I'll probably go on to something smaller eventually.

“Working here is definitely a job in itself, but I love it.

“We have been open nearly eight years and we're still thriving. I think that's something to be seriously proud of.”