Malvern Living Jul - Aug 2023

I thought being a Chef would be a
brilliant career and I wanted to be part of
it – and here I am!
YOU WOULD HAVE HAD THE
BENEFIT OF HAVING A DAD WHO
COULD COOK. AM I MAKING THE
RIGHT SUPPOSITION THAT YOU
NEED A GOOD PALATE TO DO IT
WELL?
Sort of. Being a chef is like tasting
wine - people may not know much
about it, but they know what they like.
White or red, Sauvignon or Chardonnay,
Merlot or Shiraz - you start with very big
differences and suss out what tastes
good, then you file them down. I think
that anybody can cook if they put their
mind to it.
DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR
WINE YOU ENJOY? DO YOU MATCH
IT WITH WHAT YOU ARE EATING?
My brother, Charlie, handles wine at the
family restaurants, so I let him lead on
that side of things, since he has years
of knowledge. Personally, I like spicy
food alongside a Riesling – it’s a great
combination. I also love a really sweet
wine and blue cheese, it’s an unusual
pairing, but the flavours work well.
LOVELY THAT SOUNDS DELICIOUS.
ONE THING I WAS THINKING IN
TERMS OF YOUR CAREER PATH,
YOU’VE GOT TO NOT MIND THE
HOURS?
You’ve just got to get on with it. In an
office you might be clock-watching,
whereas in the kitchen, it never feels
like there’s enough hours in the day.
Sometimes it is hard to go into work on
a Friday when other people are going
out enjoying themselves, but you have
to make sacrifices in any job if you want
to do it well, and be recognised for being
reliable. It’s such a rewarding career.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE
LAUNCHED YOUR OWN COOKERY
SCHOOL
We have relaunched our cookery school
in Padstow which is really exciting. We’ve
had a big refurb and I’m hosting courses
there this year for the second year
running. These are my own dishes rather
than Rick’s food – I’m chuffed it’s been
so popular. We will also be launching
new experiences next year to include
more vegetarian dishes and a dayboat
fishing classes, returning to the school
to cook whatever we catch. We also
take participants to the farm where we
get our produce from, so they get a full
understanding of what goes on behind
the scenes and to meet our suppliers.
SO THAT IS BASED IN PADSTOW?
I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU THE
OTHER DAY BECAUSE I KNOW
HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY LIVING
IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. I
THOUGHT THAT IF YOU WERE A
STICK OF ROCK IT WOULD HAVE
PADSTOW RUNNING ALL THE WAY
THROUGH.
Whilst I have a big affinity to Padstow,
Trevone (which is just a mile away) has a
massive place in my heart as that’s where
I’m from.
IT’S LOVELY TO HAVE ROOTS LIKE
THAT
It’s great - you see smiling faces and
get a friendly wave from the locals and
there’s a real sense of community.
I FEEL JUST THE SAME. NOW, THE
STEIN’S AT HOME FISH DELIVERY
BOXES - TELL ME ABOUT THEM.
We started them in lockdown as we
wanted to get as many people back to
work in the business as possible. We saw
Hawksmoor, the steak restaurant, selling
successful restaurant kits and wanted
to be a part of this new wave of home
deliveries. We launched Stein’s at Home
and an Online Fishmongers, which sells
incredible fresh fish and seafood boxes
fresh from our Cornish supplier – he will
pick the fish up in the morning, bring it
back to us, and pack it to send that exact
day. So, rather than buying from a shelf
in the supermarket, which might have
been hanging around for a few days, it
is extremely fresh. Fresh fish is very hard
to come by, especially sea bass, turbot,
lobster and crab. We think we’ve found a
gap in the market providing that service
and we’re so pleased with all the positive
feedback from customers.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FISH?
You can’t go wrong with mackerel - it’s
really healthy, it’s good for you and I just
love it. I think some people are a little
scared about cooking fish. Maybe they
cook it too long, or they’re just not used
to it. What we eat now has changed
quite radically and with fast food, diets
have changed. Our fish boxes come with
‘how to’ videos to walk you through the
process, and we have a YouTube channel
explaining how to cook different species
– it was great to make these educational
videos.
THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE TO
ASK. YOU HAVE A SPECIAL ROLE IN
THE BUSINESS?
Yes indeed, I am Chef Director across the
Rick Stein Restaurants, which means I’m
overseeing the whole process. Not just
the restaurants, but also online, retail and
training, which is exciting.
DIDN’T YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO DO
BEFORE…?
I love what I do and helping the family
business grow from strength to strength
is so rewarding. I have a brilliant
Executive Chef who does a lot of dayto-day
restaurant operations, meaning I
can focus more on strategy, but I still love
getting into the kitchen.
HOW WERE YOU AFFECTED BY THE
LOCKDOWNS?
The Online Fishmonger boxes and Stein’s
at Home meal kits were a pivot really,
which enabled us to keep some money in
the business. We wanted to keep things
going, especially the fresh fish business,
and it was great to see a demand from
our customers who wanted restaurant
quality meals at home. People trust Rick
Stein as a brand to source the best and
freshest fish possible.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU
WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR
READERS?
I’m excited to announce that I’m on
Cooking With The Stars, which is
returning in June, on ITV Prime Time.
I’m also continuing to build our online
fish box offering with new innovations
for home delivery across the UK. The
atmosphere in Cornwall over summer is
always electric, so I’m looking forward to
successful months ahead and, of course,
some good weather!
Jack’s cookbook: Jack Stein’s World on
a Plate: Bloomsbury & Absolute Press is
available to purchase from:
https://shop.rickstein.com/, as well as
all good book stores.
www.minervamagazines.co.uk | 17