Chef Special: Tom Kerridge

Owner of the first pub to win two Michelin stars, Tom Kerridge talks to Dream Escape, reflecting on his stratospheric success and his 2021 new launch.

The restaurant trade is not for the faint-hearted – any business owner emerging from the last couple of years will attest to this – but Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge has never been averse to seizing an opportunity and rolling the dice. In 2005, Kerridge and his artist wife Beth bought a rundown pub in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and invested every penny they had in the business. The gamble paid off, and then some – within 10 months The Hand & Flowers won its first Michelin star and it’s been one of Britain’s finest gastronomic flag bearers ever since. “It was a real case of just grabbing an opportunity and running with it. Working with your other half is amazing. Sometimes it’s very hard to know the boundaries between your work life and home life – it all becomes a bit of a melting pot – but you’re both driven to create something fantastic and exciting, and it’s amazing because you achieve things together as a team.”

In 2012, The Hand & Flowers won its second Michelin star, making it the first gastropub to receive two stars in Michelin history. “I think the second star was even bigger because we had constantly reinvested in the business, the company and the people. We got rooms on board (Kerridge has cottages and luxurious bedrooms dotted around the charming town of Marlow for rental) and we just tried to get better every day. We didn’t expect to win two stars. It’s such a monumental achievement for anyone to win two, but for us to do it in a pub and being the first pub to do it, was just mind-blowing. Every year when it maintains that level, it’s like winning it all over again.”

Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, London

PUB GRUB

Tom says his cooking is honest, with menu inspirations often taking one dish – even if intrinsically very simple – “and doing it the very best it can be done”. It’s a recipe that has worked wonders, with the Michelin guide inclusion for The Hand & Flowers reading: ‘Food is based around pub classics, but those classics are elevated to new heights and are among the best in the UK. The sourcing of ingredients is given due reverence and execution is skilful and confident, while the dishes themselves are characterised by rich, powerful flavours – and the presentation is first-rate. Desserts are a real highlight and you’ll always find a soufflé on the list.’

Of his ethos, Kerridge says: “A lot of people sometimes are intimidated by Michelin stars or Michelin-star experience, but we want people to enjoy it and love it. Of course, feel that there’s something very special there, but without them feeling that they’re on edge. For us it’s all about encompassing and embracing everybody.”

The success of The Hand & Flowers has led to some delectable offshoots. Tom now has two further pubs in Marlow where he lives with his family: The Coach which opened in 2014 and won a Michelin star in 2017, and The Butcher’s Tap – Kerridge’s traditional butchers’ shop that serves the highest quality meat prepared by expert butchers, which also opened in 2017. “Marlow is home. It’s a beautiful place and so easy for heading in and out of London,” the chef says.

When it comes to new ventures, Kerridge has zoned in on venues of historical note. He opened his first London restaurant Kerridge’s Bar & Grill at the Corinthia Hotel in 2018 and then went on to open his Manchester restaurant The Bull & Bear in 2019 at the new Stock Exchange Hotel.

Working with your other half is amazing... you’re both driven to create something fantastic and exciting, and it’s amazing because you achieve things together as a team.

COOL BRITANNIA

Born and raised in Gloucestershire, it was a combination of luck and necessity that led him into the hospitality trade, aged 18. “I needed some money, so I went to wash up in a kitchen when I was 18, and I just fell in love with the industry. I fell for the energy – the excitement, the late nights, and the early mornings. After all the routine of school, there was something so exciting about it all. The nine to five, Monday to Friday was never going to have been for me.” Kerridge went to culinary school in Cheltenham and worked in country houses and hotels across Gloucestershire as a junior chef before moving to London in his early twenties to work with the likes of Philip Britton, Gary Rhodes and Steven Bull.

Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, London

“You can get influenced more by people who sometimes you don’t work with – like big names in the industry, great French chefs and fantastic people like Marco Pierre White; his White Heat cookery book has been amazing for many chefs my age. But I suppose one person in my career who stands out is Gary Rhodes. Having spent time working with Gary, the godfather of British cuisine, is special.”

Kerridge's food continues to be honest, true to its roots and, more often than not, a celebration of Britain, which makes his latest opening – Kerridge’s Fish & Chips in Harrods, in the historic Grade-IIlisted Dining Hall – an even better fit.

Kerridge’s grilled lobster and chips

Launched in summer 2021, the sociable, laidback food hall has booths and a bar, with a menu that includes freshly caught turbot, lobster, Rock oysters, Cornish squid, and Dublin Bay prawns, along with joyously British sides of pease pudding, and snacks of chip shop pickled onions, cockle ‘popcorn’ with malted beer vinegar, Morecambe Bay shrimps and treacle bread. Kerridge adds: “It’s a massive celebration of British food in such a magical shop. The dishes include incredible lobster, oysters and freshly caught fish from some of the best suppliers in Britain and beyond. They are all cooked to perfection and served with sensational sides, such as the triple- cooked chips topped with an option of Matson curry sauce, Lobster Thermidor, Morecambe Bay Shrimps or Caviar – it’s an unbeatable combination.

Tom Kerridge cooking

“Everyone remembers trips to Harrods as a kid. I remember going with my grandparents and walking around with my mouth wide open thinking how magical it was – and how special to now be able to serve our food there.

We see it as a great place to represent Great Britain and the food that we do.”

OFF MENU

The king of elevating British classics, Kerridge notes his fish-and-chip dishes as some of his favourites from across his menus: “Fish and chips appears on all of the restaurants at some point, in some style, so that’s something that represents us really well, I think. There’s a smoked haddock omelette that’s on the starters at The Hand & Flowers that has been there pretty much from the beginning, which is another dish we are really proud of.”

Kerridge's prawns and chips

Despite the challenging last 18 months, it’s buoying to see a chef still as enamoured with his kitchens and his craft. “It’s not a job, it’s a way of life and it’s what I fell in love with all those years ago. The energy, the chaotic hours, the enthusiasm.”

When he does take a break, he retreats to Cornwall, where best friend and top chef Paul Ainsworth has his famous restaurant No6, alongside Caffè Rojano, The Mariners Public House, Mahé Cookery School and Chef’s Table, with rooms at Ainsworth’s Padstow Townhouse. “He’s down in Padstow in Cornwall and Paul’s got rooms at the Padstow Townhouse and his restaurant No6 is just fantastic so we love going down there.”

Humble, down to earth and authentic – true of both the dishes and the chef – Kerridge has no plans for further named expansions and so continues to lead from the front and keep food at the core of all that he does.

I fell for the energy – the excitement, the late nights, and the early mornings... the nine to five, Monday to Friday was never going to have been for me.

DREAM ESCAPE EXPERIENCES

Here are a few of our favourite private and exclusive offerings to include as part of your Tom Kerridge inspired dream escape.

MARLOW AND SURROUNDING AREA

For glorious gardens overlooking the Thames, National Trust’s Cliveden makes for an enticing day out. If you are visiting during the festive season, the awardwinning Christmas extravaganza at Waddesdon, the Rothschild House & Gardens is an absolute must, and you might also enjoy the Tudor country house and garden of Greys Court. Henley-on-Thames, said to be the inspiration behind the much-loved children's book The Wind in the Willows, is a gorgeous place to visit, home to the annual Royal Regatta and Henley Festival, known as the UK’s most glamourous festival. On a Dream Escape visit to Daws Hill Vineyard, visitors enjoy a private tour around the winery, hearing about the winemaking process along with a special tasting of its English sparkling wine. Other local attractions include visiting the world’s oldest original model village, and clay pigeon shooting in a location set amid 40 acres of woodland on a stunning countryside estate. Complete the day with private dining at The Shed, an intimate dining space available to Dream Escape guests, with the opportunity to meet Tom Kerridge and his team of chefs in person, as they carefully compose a selection of dishes to complement the experience of dining in this elegant space.

Where to stay…The Hand & Flower Cottages and Cliveden House Hotel.

Interior of Robinswood, The Hand & Flower Cottages

The Hand and Flowers Bar

WINDSOR AND THE THAMES

The town of Windsor is a haven for shopping. Encased within the Victorian railway station are a plethora of high-end outlets. It’s a pleasant stroll from here across the river to Eton High Street. Noted for its art and antique shops, this charming thoroughfare also leads to Eton College, the country’s most famous school. Another highlight is Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, and Windsor Great Park where you will discover a royal history spanning over 1,000 years. Dream Escape also arrange for guests to enjoy a private boat cruise on the idyllic and picturesque waters of the famous River Thames with the option of a gourmet Champagne picnic, ensuring the full quintessentially English experience.

Where to stay…Coworth Park and Fairmont at Windsor Park

LONDON

For one of the finest and certainly the latest Tom Kerridge experiences, begin your London day out with a visit to Harrods, where you can not only indulge in shopping galore, but visit the historic Grade-II-listed Dining Hall for a taste of Kerridge’s Fish & Chips. Spend the afternoon in in the heart of Mayfair at the beautiful and famous covered shopping street of Burlington Arcade and enjoy a private tour with one of the famous Burlington Beadles, who still enforce rules today to include no humming, hurrying, riding bicycles or ‘behaving boisterously’ in the arcade. The Burlington Arcade is one of Britain’s earliest shopping arcades and was built by Lord George Cavendish, later Earl of Burlington, home to fine watch and jewellery boutiques, luxury perfumers and luxury fashion houses. Follow in the footsteps of royalty with our Dream Escape private shopping experiences, which include a visit to Berry Bros. & Rudd for wine, Paxton & Whitfield for cheese, Floris for perfume and soaps, Fortnum & Mason for teas and more, and Hatchards for signed copies of latest publications. Complete the perfect day with a visit to the theatre, and a luxury overnight stay and dinner at Corinthia Hotel, London, dining at Tom Kerridge’s first London restaurant, Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, staying in a penthouse suite with your own personal butler and walk-in wine cellar. If there is time the next morning, take a visit to the London home of Charles Dickens, where readings of A Christmas Carol can be made by special arrangement. If visiting by evening, enjoy a private tour after dark. To really get into the festive spirit head to St Martin in the Fields to enjoy a host of events and exhibitions, such as 'Blessing of the Crib' in Trafalgar Square, Carols by Candlelight, and the best view of the famous Trafalgar Square Christmas tree – given as a very special gift from Norway to repay Britain after World War II.

Where to stay…Corinthia London

Find out more

Sue Morris, Head of Marketing "To experience Tom Kerridge in one of my favourite corners of the country is always going to be a special treat. Marlow offers you everything on a silver plate: idyllic River Thames walks, independent boutique shops, a fantastic array of cafes and restaurants, plus you are a stone's throw away from some of the best stately homes and gardens in England."

⬥ sue@dreamescape.co.uk

→ dreamescape.co.uk

WORDS | CHANTAL BORCIANI