What is your current role and what does it involve?

My current role is head chef at Northcote. I was absolutely delighted to be promoted to this position at the beginning of May having spent 12 months at Northcote, it’s such a privilege to be in this position. As you can imagine, it’s a huge role with lots of responsibility. Every day you are responsible for the running of the kitchen and a brigade of up to 24 chefs. It's my job to ensure the kitchen runs smoothly and we maintain all the standards and menus that the chef patron-director Lisa Goodwin-Allen creates. Supporting Lisa in the creation of her menus, is one of the exciting parts of the role and where I can learn and expand my knowledge.

How long have you been a chef?

I've been a chef for 14 years. I started straight out of school and did an apprenticeship at Abode Hotel in Manchester, which at the time had two restaurants; the fine dining restaurant Michael Caines at ABode which had a tasting and a la carte menu and the MC Bar, Café and Grill which was more casual.

I was there for three years, and it was a good starting point because I manged to do a little bit of everything. I got a taster of all the different cooking styles, which helped me to decide what type of cooking I wanted to get into.

How did you first get into cooking?

I first got into cooking because my mum was a very, very good cook. We always had fabulous Sunday dinners; she also makes a great hotpot. I was always around good food growing up.

My career in cooking came about because, while I was at school, I did a level one construction course, but I really didn’t enjoy it. What I did like was the hands-on aspect of it, I thought, ‘why don't I try an apprenticeship in cooking?’ As they say, the rest is history. I got the bug and that was it, but it definitely did come from my mum originally.

What was your first job in hospitality?

My first hospitality job was the apprenticeship at Abode Hotel, but after that, I went to Le Manoir Aux Quait’ Saisons, for what was supposed to be a week. Luckily enough, they asked if I would like a trial and then offered me a position! I could not believe my luck! An incredible opportunity for a young chef to work in one of the best kitchens in the UK, that is where I got my first understanding of fine dining.

 It was a busy kitchen and even as a commis chef, you were able to actually cook, not just prepping, which can often happen, for example, you could do the garnish or cook the fish. Le Manoir has function as well as the restaurants, so there was always plenty to be involved with at such a high level.

I felt so lucky to be training at somewhere so iconic, where they taught you to cook at such a young age. I’m slightly biased, but I believe that Gary Jones at the time had the best training ground in the country, by far.

Where did you learn your craft?

There are four big influences on my career which obviously started with Gary at Le Manoir. After that I worked with Ollie Pierrepont at Driftwood in Cornwall. The effort he put in, the way he tasted food, and his palate was unreal. Everything he made tasted fantastic. He actually used to change his menu daily, which blew my mind.

Then I went to work at Sat Baines. When it comes down to flavour, Sat had the biggest influence on me, but I learnt much more than that from him. The discipline, the cleanliness and the structure that’s in place there is astounding.

And then obviously, there’s Lisa, she’s been such a huge influence and continues to be daily. It’s not just the freedom she gives you, but she also knows when you're struggling and when to step in and help. She'll come up with an idea and just run with it. Sometimes we’re not sure of the direction it’s going, but then she’ll produce a dish that’s just outstanding and everyone is left wondering where on earth it came from. I will learn a lot from Lisa, she is a great mentor.

I've been very lucky – I’ve learnt so much from them all. One thing they all have in common is the ethos that no matter what, the food has to taste amazing. If you eat in any of those four restaurants you’ll come away happy and thinking wow, I’ve eaten a tasty plate of food. This is now my ethos, and I will continue to develop my craft and improve my knowledge.

What is your signature dish?

The dish I like to cook he most at the moment is one we have on the lunch menu at Northcote. It’s a potato gnocchi, with garlic mushroom and a brown butter hollandaise. It's everything that I love about cooking. It’s tasty, it’s comforting, with loads of flavour, it reminds me of a dish you’d have in a pub, but we’ve elevated it way beyond that!

What’s been your worst cooking disaster?

I won’t say which restaurant this was at, but my worst cooking disaster was running out of lamb during a lunch service, because I didn’t do the checks properly. I had to tell the chef that we’d run out, and as you can imagine it didn’t go down very well. It was a tasting menu, so a lot of people had already seen the menu. It was a tough lunch service; a big lesson learnt.

What are your culinary ambitions?

My culinary ambitions at the moment are to support Lisa and all the Northcote team, we've got lots of exciting projects coming up after being taken over by the new owners, it’s a brand new chapter, we are opening a bespoke events company, there will be a new Michelin Star Restaurant built next year, the existing restaurant will become more of a brasserie concept and honestly you can expect more…we are going to be busy for sure!

Of course, eventually I would love to run my own kitchen and to teach the next generation. Being as lucky as I have been, I would love people to say that I’ve mentored them, or that I have been an inspiration for their career.

What do you like to eat?

I really like to eat comfort food like sausage, mash, peas and gravy. I love really good pub food, like a Sunday roast. There’s nothing better than going to the pub on a Sunday and having a good roast dinner and not having to do the washing up afterwards. And of course I love to expand my knowledge and try new restaurants and cuisines, it's good to keep up with what’s happening out there.

More: 'New era' at Michelin star restaurant Northcote as top chef unveils summer menu

More: East Lancashire restaurant among top 1,000 in world on prestigious list

How do you achieve a work/life balance?

Thankfully most properties now take this very seriously and at Northcote, Lisa is always keen we run a good shift pattern wherever possible. And, when I have my time off, it’s important to plan something and make the most of it. I am very much into eating healthy and keeping fit, you need to with this type of job, I love to run, this really helps me to switch off and spending time with family and my girlfriend.

Northcote, Northcote Road, Langho, Lancashire, BB6 8BE

Tel: 01254 240555

www.northcote.com

Open Monday-Sunday

Steeped in history dating back to 1880, Northcote offers a luxurious escape in Lancashire’s beautiful Ribble Valley. Originally a private residence, Northcote has been transformed into a haven of unparalleled hospitality. Featuring 26 individually styled bedrooms, in an intimate and relaxing setting. Michelin-starred Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen leads the award-winning restaurant, crafting exquisite dishes that celebrate the bounty of Lancashire’s fresh, seasonal produce. Northcote promises a unique blend of modern elegance and timeless charm.

Serves 1

Ingredients

Gnocci:

2 red rooster potatoes

50g parmesan

30g 00 flour

2 egg yolks

30g plain flour

Method:

1. Roast potatoes in the oven
2. Scoop potato out of skin and put potato through a masher
3. Add the rest of ingredients other than plain flour
4. Roll out, cut into rectangles
5. Put in the fridge
6. When ready to use, cook in the air fryer on roast until golden brown

Mushroom mix

500g mushroom (chestnut or button mushroom. You can use any for this mix)

4g grated garlic

1/2 lemon

2g salt

80g butter

200g cream

Method:

1. In a pan add the garlic, mushrooms and butter
2. Cook for 5 mins (do not burn)
3. Make sure mushrooms are soft
4. Add cream and cook until it coats the mushrooms
5. Season with the lemon and salt
6. Take off heat and chill

For serving:

1. Put the gnocchi in a bowl
2. Add the garlic mushrooms
3. Add grated parmesan
4. My little secret is add some pesto – you can buy this from all supermarkets