‘My father was the top Scottish Trawler Skipper, fishing for two weeks then home for two days. My youth in Eyemouth was made up of school and working at my best friend’s father’s fish business during the week. Then my weekends were spent at the market garden, growing, picking and preparing fresh vegetables and fruit ready for sale. I also worked in forestry, as a fisherman catching salmon on the River Eye, and helped the local butcher delivering meat to his customers on my bike. My grandfather was also a butcher with live pigs, cattle and poultry in his field behind his shop. Catering has always run through my veins. My mother was always cooking, our kitchen at home was central to family life. My father’s dream was to run a hotel but his roots were firmly attached to the sea. So then I left home to travel. Food, wine, hotels, restaurants, those were always of great interest to me and through all my working life it had been my goal to be where I am now.
‘When we first opened the restaurant in 2003 I initially supported my son Tom running the front of house, whilst working as a teacher. As I became more involved in the day to day running of the restaurant as well as it design and ambience I realised I was needed on a full time basis, and have continued to enjoy leading a small dedicated team of staff.’
As a child, I lived for some time in the Caribbean. This is where, through the magical blending of taste and culture, that I discovered that eating is not only a matter of subsisting but in fact a social event. I took a hospitality degree in France and worked my way around some of the most upcoming restaurants, first in the French Riviera and then in London, where I havenow lived for 20 years. Five years ago, I was invited to join the Patterson’s family and I could finally say that I was home. Since then, as Restaurant Manager, it is has been my pleasure to welcome our guest and to make sure that they enjoy a very special meal with us. From helping the young man who wants to propose to his girlfriend to organising a private function for a 50th wedding anniversary, for me it’s all about pleasing the guests who do us the honour of joining us for a few hours of ‘social-eating’.
To me, the act of eating should be seen as an experience. I try to cook the way I live and vice versa. Which is why when I was offered the opportunity to become the Head Chef at Patterson’s I did not think twice before accepting. This restaurant was what I was looking for in terms of cuisine and of culture.
I think that you have to know where you come from to know where you are going. That should be true as much from a chef as from a lobster. I continuously remind our team in the kitchen that they must master the traditional techniques before they allow themselves to be more imaginative. The same goes with produce. No matter how good a recipe, it’s the provenance of your ingredient that should be first in your mind. Since I was welcomed in the Patterson family, I have had the chance to share this philosophy, not only with the team, but most importantly with our customers. One mouthful at a time.
I got my love of food from a very young age. Throughout my childhood, I thought I was going to become a chef. Whilst I was at the catering college however, I soon realised that the heat of the kitchen was not for me and the buzz of the dining room was calling me. I was lucky enough to gain valuable experience in various awarded restaurant in France before taking the plunge and moving to London.
I have now been working for the Patterson family for more than 2 years. I love the fact that we get so many returning customers, to know which table they prefer, that Mr. S.
drink only Chardonnay or that Mrs W. will always end up having the chocolate tart! As a chef de rang, Patterson’s offers me the opportunity to work both in a fine dining and a small family restaurant, which for me is the best of both worlds!