Stephen Smith may have started his career in Lancashire – working with Paul Heathcote at his now closed two Michelin star Heathcote’s - but Yorkshire has been where it’s at for the past two decades. The 40-year-old worked at Pool Court in Leeds, alongside Jeff Baker, at a time when the restaurant was the first in the city to be awarded a star.
Stephen has been in charge of the kitchens at the Michelin-starred Star Inn at Harome for more than 15 years, initially as Andrew Pern’s head chef, and now as chef/director, overseeing the talented front of house team as well as it’s food offer. We caught up with him for a chat.
How have things been at The Star Inn since you reopened after the fire?
The closure period allowed us time to reflect and consider how we could make the customer experience even more special and more ‘personal’. Reopening was one of the hardest tasks I have ever faced, but I was lucky to have my loyal team still behind me.
It has also been great fun to see a lot of the familiar faces again, as well as plenty of new ones. We manage our covers differently now to be able to concentrate on our guests and give a real Yorkshire experience with our 10-course Tasting Menu or A la Carte. We also remember to look after our locals offering a weekly-changing menu for them.
How did it feel to be back in the kitchen?
I couldn’t wait to get back! I was brimming over with ideas I wanted to put into action and suppliers for us to use. It was daunting to begin with, as we have regular customers who have always come along on the journey with us and we had not seen them for a year. To suddenly reopen with a new menu and new approach made us a little apprehensive. However, after we had got through the first service, Andrew (Pern) and I felt we had smashed it, cooking food we would want to eat ourselves in the perfect pub!
What is special about The Star?
We always say The Star has six centuries of hospitality infused into its very fabric. From the moment you walk through the door, you feel at home. The place has everything; atmosphere, food, wine and the best staff (of course!). In some respects, time seems to stand still here, and my 15 years here has flown, but I still feel as motivated as when I started.
What do you think about Yorkshire's food scene?
It has grown and developed massively during the time I have lived here, from the number of small producers and suppliers to the quality of restaurants. Andrew Pern first gained a Michelin star in 2002 and it was one of the first pubs (or gastropubs as they came to be known) to win this accolade, but now the standard of restaurants even within a short drive of Harome means you are spoilt for choice!
First dish you learned to cook?
I have already confessed to being from Lancashire, so you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it was a Lancashire Hotpot! As a dish, I think it’s a must for any chef, professional or home, and my parents were very pleased that I was interested in cooking, as it meant they got a night off.
Most vivid childhood food memory?
The cauliflower cheese my parents made every Friday for my brothers and me. We each had a big plate of it with bread to fill us up. It made so much of an impression on me that we now have a version of it on our tasting menus; with the best local cheddar and truffle to make it the most luxurious cauliflower cheese ever!
Most memorable meal out?
The Fat Duck would be up there as one of my most memorable. You feel as if you have been transported to another place. I love the way they play on your childhood memories. If I can have two, I would choose Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for its solid cooking and service, faultless and total perfection.
Favourite ingredient?
It’s very difficult to choose one, but the much-anticipated first of the season grouse is a firm favourite. It’s an amazing game bird with a unique flavour and shot locally to us on the purple-heathered moors. It marks the beginning of the feathered game season and we look towards our autumn menus to take advantage of all the fantastic produce available.
Your go-to snack?
Dare I say it, noodles! I love them and there are some very good ones available now; they take minutes to prepare and are perfect when you don’t have a lot of time.
If you weren't a chef, what would you be doing and why?
I would have like to have tried my hand at being a Formula One Racing Driver; unfortunately, my height would mean this wasn’t possible, so it’s probably a good idea I stayed with being a chef!
Your dream dinner guest, and why?
We get a lot of interesting and famous diners at The Star Inn and whilst it’s always a privilege to cook for them, it would be good to join them and get to know them a little. We recently had Gareth Southgate in the restaurant, and he kindly allowed us to have a photograph with him, but it would have been great to get to know him a little better.
What's your guilty food pleasure?
I love a battered fish butty, kept simple with maybe a little tartare sauce.
Who are your Yorkshire food heroes?
Andrew Pern. What he has created at The Star is something really special and every day I feel lucky to be part of it. There are lots of people who open new places and run them well for a few years; not so many who manage to keep a restaurant at our sort of level for 27 years!
A food industry person who inspires?
Emmanuel Renault, a 3 Michelin-starred French chef, who uses local and foraged ingredients to cook classic flavour profiled dishes using modern techniques.
A place you love to eat?
The Ritz is always a real treat, from the setting and classic style of service through to the perfection of the food.
A career highlight?
It was amazing to become a head chef at the tender age of 24, but probably the most unforgettable and emotional day of my career so far was when we regained our much-loved Michelin star in 2014, after a lot of very hard work.
What's next?
We never lose enthusiasm for sourcing the best produce for our customers and increasing the knowledge base of our staff. Since reopening we have put a lot of focus on the wine knowledge of our chefs, who we involve in decisions regarding wine matches for the dishes we have developed. Fortunately, this kind of research is always popular. Basically, we will continue to work hard to be the best we can be – and maybe, one day, gain bigger and better awards, whilst remaining one of Yorkshire’s most loved pubs.
How do you feel about being named Yorkshire Life's Chef of the Year?
It means the world to me to win the award. My job involves a huge amount of hard work behind the scenes and it is a great boost to have this kind of recognition. It is also great for my team, many of whom have worked with me now for six years.
