‘This could be the one’ – Simon Ulph’s new Lake District chapter at Rothay Manor
By Simon Ulph’s own admission, Rothay Manor was not a hotel on his radar before he started working there, but as soon as he walked in the building, he thought: “This could be the one.”
It has been a whirlwind year for Simon.
He was a big part of the opening team as executive head chef at Michael Caines at The Stafford, which won a Michelin star within months of launch, before leaving London behind to find work back in the Lake District.
In that time, he also became a father again and now has two young daughters.
After seeking potential new opportunities closer to his family earlier this year, Rothay Manor, the three AA Rosette venue situated in Ambleside, emerged as an option.
“I’m really proud of what we built at The Stafford,” Simon told The Staff Canteen.
“Transforming The Game Bird into Michael Caines at The Stafford, completely changing the food and the ethos of that restaurant and kitchen.
“Winning a star within five months was incredible. I'm immensely proud of being part of that team. Working with Michael was amazing, he's an amazing man.
“I've got two kids now, five months old and six years old, and being back and forth to London, all that commuting just wasn't feasible.
“I was spending more time on the train and so much money travelling up and down, it was getting stupid.
“So I came back up north, around February time, and thought, what am I going to do?
“I started ringing around, and Jo (Dixon), the ops director here, used to be my ops director at the Gilpin.
“I asked her if she needed a hand at all. I came in to help, did a bit of agency, and it flourished into this. I wasn't looking for a full-time job, and now here we are.
“I’d never heard of Rothay Manor until I came in, didn't even know where it was.”
Asked how quickly after entering the kitchen he thought there could be something more there for him, Simon said: "I just thought it had serious potential.
“The dining room is lovely - you wouldn't think it's 10 years old, it's immaculate. The kitchen's a really nice size, with some good equipment in it.
“I thought this could be the one, I could see something in it.
“So far, we're doing a good job. We've changed the food around, elevated it, pushed the team forward, got a really good team in the kitchen and a really good front-of-house team.”
Former experience for the front-of-house staff includes working for the likes of Tom Aikens, Tom Sellers, Tom Kitchin and Simon Rogan, with the team led by Fergus Muirhead.
“Especially after I met the owners, Jamie and Jenna (Shail), they're so passionate, you could see they wanted this place to go in a particular direction,” head chef Simon said.
“We're getting a lot of people in, a lot of really positive comments about the food and the hotel itself. It's a good time now."
How did Simon Ulph first become a chef?
Kent-born Simon has no family background in hospitality – his dad worked as a mechanic and his mum as a nurse.
But after getting a weekend job at a local café as a kid, he was hooked on the idea of becoming a chef.
“It just developed into this passion,” he said.
“By the time I got to year 11 at school, I knew I wanted to cook. The day I’d done my GCSEs, I left home and moved to the other side of Kent to start working at The Swan in West Malling.”
The Swan, which held three AA rosettes, proved an ideal learning ground for Simon, working with the likes of Andrew Clarke and Scott Goss, acquiring techniques such as full animal butchery and making stocks and sauces.
A brief spell in London followed, before getting a job with Robert Thompson at Michelin-starred The Hambrough.
“I went on holiday to the Isle of Wight with my mum and dad and we had lunch at The Hambrough,” Simon explained.
“We went back to the caravan and I said to my dad, ‘I want to work there’.
“I’d never had a CV before, so we typed one up, went to Tesco and bought a printer, drove back to The Hambrough and gave it in. I met Rob the day after and he offered me a job.
“Going from the Globe, where we were doing mega numbers, to my first one-star was a massive eye-opener - but I wouldn't change it for the world.
“I owe Rob a lot. He's a huge part of my career and my life. I've asked him to be godfather to my daughter.”
What is the food like at Rothay Manor?
Simon’s future career also saw him work for Masaharu Morimoto in California, having met him whilst doing agency work at the 2012 London Olympics, Ollie Bridgwater at Source at Gilpin Hotel, and Lisa Goodwin-Allen at Northcote Manor.
Now, he is creating something of his own at Rowan at Rothay Manor, combining techniques he has learned along the way, with Lake District produce.
"I think the best way to describe the food we do here is modern European, with influences from our travels,” Simon said.
“From living in California, working for Morimoto, I throw quite a bit of Asian into it. I spent a fair bit of time in Tokyo, and I went to Mexico for four or five months during lockdown, eating and trying things.
"It's not too formal - no tablecloths, we keep it quite Lake District, quite rustic, with the wood, nice stoneware and crockery.
“A bit more relaxed than your normal fine dining restaurant."
He added: “I'm really excited to be working very closely with Lake District Farmers again. We get the meat in aged, then age it a bit further ourselves.
“All our ducks come from Udale, not far from us. All our fish is from my supplier down in Fleetwood.
"We're trying to work with local farmers as well to get really good vegetables in. I want to find the farmer near my house, because his sweetcorn's coming up and it looks stunning, so I'm trying to track him down!"
Word is spreading about Rowan at Rothay Manor
And what Simon is doing seems to be working, with restaurant bookings coming thick and fast, and not just from guests staying at the hotel.
"I think word's getting out about the food changing,” he said.
“We do get a lot of tourists and a lot of walkers. But word of mouth locally means we're getting a lot of non-residents too.
“We do a four-course à la carte alongside a seven-course tasting menu, seven nights a week. It’s a nice balance.
“We've got a house menu too, so if you're staying three nights you could go à la carte one night, tasting menu another, and then house menu - steak, a burger, fish of the day - in the lounge."
{contribute-overlay}
Ambitions for Rothay Manor
With both the kitchen and front-of-house teams now led by people with Michelin-starred pedigree, the ambition at Rothay Manor is clear.
Discussing the goals for him, the restaurant and the hotel, Simon said: "I don't think we'll put a label on it.
“All we strive for is a busy restaurant with happy guests, a nice vibe in the dining room, and a busy hotel. If anything comes after that, it comes.
“But the biggest thing right now is really good food, a happy team front and back, and guests who enjoy it.
“I just want to see people leave here smiling, happy and full, saying, ‘that was a really good meal’.”
He added: “Winning the Michelin star at The Stafford does make me feel a bit more confident in myself, because I do doubt myself quite a bit.
“I question what I'm cooking, whether it's right on the plate, and I get quite nervous sometimes - is this right, am I doing the right thing?
“But I think it gave me a bit more self-confidence, knowing I can lead my team, that I'm doing the right thing for them and showing them the right way.
“That's where I'm at right now.
“I want to see my team cooking, smiling, enjoying it. No-one grumpy, no-one frowning, that's not what I'm about.
“You come to work to have fun. If you're just coming in to get through a job, then it's not right for you.
“You want to be like, 'I can't wait to get to work, can't wait to cook, can't wait to get into service.'"
{{user.name}}