Biography

I was trained in some of the most elite Restaurants in both England and France, but it was not until 1998 when I became Chef/ Patron myself that my creativity and passion began to shine. I believe I learnt so much from previous chefs I worked with, but there comes a time when you start teaching yourself, not just in cooking, but running a restaurant.

Midsummer House is a completely unique building which looks quaint from the outside, but once you enter, you realise how large it is with all space being used. I fell in love with Midsummer House the moment I walked into it. With its fantastic location and uniqueness of the building it really was love at first sight.

My dream was to put Cambridge onto the culinary map and to have the opportunity to cook my own food in my own premises. We achieved the first Michelin Star in 2001, an accolade which Cambridge has never had. In 2005 we were awarded our second Star, not just putting Cambridge on the map, but also East Anglia as the first Two Star restaurant this side of England.

Food is constantly evolving. We work very closely with all of our suppliers both locally and nationally to buy the best ingredients and cooking them with the greatest of care to retain its natural form and flavour. We use new cooking techniques, but our repertoire and thought process is still firmly rooted with the classical combinations.

The wine list has evolved over the last 10 years to enhance the food and has been created with as much passion as the menu. However, it still hurts in a way to “let go” some of the finer wines as they bring back so many memories of the past when we purchased them.

The staff play the most important role in the day to day running of the restaurant. They all bring their own personalities, passion and love the job they undertake. I always say to new Chefs arriving "cooking is a lifestyle, it is not a job". I also work very closely with the front of house team to produce a family atmosphere where we all dine together discussing plans for the restaurant and new dishes coming onto the menu.

Partners in the business are myself and Russell Morgan. Russell has supported me through all the "ups and downs" of running a restaurant and has become a father figure as well as a great business partner.

Unfortunately the restaurant was flooded in 1999 and then again in 2000. This gave us the opportunity to completely look at the restaurant, take a step back and make sure that this never happened again, but it did allow us to start again with a new design and a fresh look. However, if you are ever dining at Midsummer House and it is raining, you will see a certain look of panic on my face because the floods completely devastated the restaurant.

Family man. I have four daughters, Shannon, Fay, Saffran and the latest edition, Lilly. I am extremely lucky that my children enjoy food and helping out when they can in order that I can spend as much time with them as possible. They even know how to make bread and dip chocolates and know all the herbs that grow in the garden. I do hope that one day one of them will take over the running of Midsummer House so that my dream will last forever.

As you can see, I am still as passionate about Midsummer House as the first day I walked through the door.