A top Totnes chef who last week was named South West Chef of the Year (SWCY) believes the secret ingredient to making fine dishes is to rely heavily on fresh, local produce.
Harrison Brockington, 26, who is also the head chef of the Gather restaurant in Totnes, scooped the SWYC award at the third time of asking, having previously entered the competition twice - the previous time in 2022 when he reached the finals.
“I quite like doing competitions because you're always learning, it's a really good way to keep improving. You see what everyone else is doing and you’re learning from your peers,” said the young chef, who has been cooking since the age of 14.
Explaining why he started so young, he said: “It was one of those things I enjoyed doing, and the more I did it, the more I enjoyed it.”
Regarding his success, he pointed at a simple recipe of adding a personal twist to traditionalism. “I think we use quite classic techniques. Everyone probably says this, but we put our little spin on it. We like classic combinations.”
A core philosophy of his work is that he relies on local produce to determine his culinary creations, rather than deciding what to cook first and then choosing the ingredients.
“A lot of people have their own personalities that come out on the plate, but it's really produce-led. We work closely with our suppliers. They'll send me a list of what's good and what they're growing at the moment, and then I'll go, ‘you know what? It’s perfect’.
“That's going to decide what's going on the menu next week, rather than us writing something and then looking for ingredients to fill that - we see what's coming in and then write the menu around that,” he added.
Asked if he felt British tastes had evolved for the better, given the country’s poor culinary reputation historically, and the disparaging view that dishes are unimaginative and tasteless, he said: “I think Britain’s got a really strong culinary scene. There's loads of really great restaurants, and it seems they’re really produce-led as well. It’s lovely to see. Being in Devon, we've also got some of the best ingredients right on our doorstep.”
With eating out increasingly becoming a luxury item for many, Mr Brockington said there was still room for people to indulge in a bit of fine dining.
“It's one of those things (you do) for a special occasion. You're eating food that you wouldn't typically get the chance to cook or pay for yourself in a relaxed environment, and where you’re served nice drinks. I think people will continue to enjoy doing that.”
Looking to the future, Mr Brockington said he would like to continue doing more of the same at Gather, while stressing that it should be kept as an independent restaurant.
“We've managed to get a few accolades, which is nice to have. Over the last five years, we’ve gone in a nice direction. So, it would be nice to continue on that streak.”