After celebrating 50 years in their famous Padstow restaurant last year, we caught up with Jack Stein to discuss the family’s new Seafood Cookbook, his route into the kitchen, chefs to watch and his future plans.
What were your first memories of food?
My earliest food memories would be trips to France with mum and dad as they were preparing to open the restaurant. We would mainly go to Brittany for inspiration. We were probably 3 or 4 and this was before the big international travel. I remember collecting and eating winkles and oysters.
What are your first memories of the restaurant?
We were around the restaurant the whole time – very much like many other family restaurant businesses. I completed a work placement at a three-star family restaurant in France, and it was exactly the same. The whole family lived and worked there, and the kids were part of the furniture.
What was your first job in hospitality?
We used to get paid to forage various ingredients. So, for winkles we would get paid £1 a kilo and then £2.50 a kilo of velvet crab. However, being a kitchen porter was my first proper job at 13. That was washing pots in the restaurant with dad.
Was foraging and growing your own always something you enjoyed?
Dad had a big garden and grew a lot of produce because back then we couldn’t really get all the produce we needed. We’d only get two drops from London a week so things like fresh herbs were tough to get hold off.
So, Rick was a chef growing his own well before the rest but out of necessity?
The restaurant was only open from Easter to October half term so we had to rely on local producers. That inspired dad to forage and grow his own. While ingredients constrict you in some ways, it also makes you be more creative with the produce you have.
When did you decide to be a chef?
I did lots of other things first. I went to university, I worked in the city and was offered a job there but there was something inside of me that said I needed to give cooking a go. I knew I didn’t want to just dip in. I wanted to give it my all for a period of time to really see if it was for me. I decided to do a year and that was 2004. The rest is history.
What do you love about the job?
I quickly realised I love being around people and that is what hospitality is all about. The kitchen is an outlet for my creativity and keeps me active, but it is also about discipline, which I need.
Which chefs have inspired you?
Fergus Henderson, Jeremy Lee, Mark Hix, Mitch Tonks and Nathan Outlaw. Often, it’s chefs who celebrate simplicity, British
seasonality and seafood.
Do you have a favourite part of your job?
I love the variety. I could be filming one day, creating and testing menus for the restaurant another, visiting suppliers and then feeding 200 people at Cheltenham the week after.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I think your cooking style evolves. You start off wanting to be one thing but as you get older you appreciate the simplicity more. Mine is very much like my parents – British seasonal ingredient driven with the odd global twist from our travels.
Where did you eat out last?
At The Wolseley in London. I was filming a podcast with Theo Randall, so we grabbed supper there. It is always excellent.
Do you have a favourite restaurant to eat at?
Som Saa on Commercial Road. Thai with great British ingredients. Riva in Barnes is another beauty that isn’t well known but is a class act.
Do you have a favourite country or cuisine?
Spain is probably my favourite place. It’s close and you have a broad spectrum of great Michelin restaurants and tapas bars, and it has great seafood and is so varied.
Any countries you haven’t travelled to that are on your list?
Mainland China.
Tell us about the The Seafood Restaurant Cookbook?
It came about because of our 50-year anniversary last year. It’s about where we’ve been and where we’re going. In there are all of our signature dishes so hot shellfish, fish and shellfish soups, turbot hollandaise but also dishes from the more modern eras. It’s a brilliant book and a real labour of love. There are wine pairings, pictures of our amazing suppliers and tips on how to tweak recipes for home.
Is there a great recipe you could recommend for summer from the book?
There is a great Fish Pie recipe and a wonderful Summer Pudding dish. Both are great for summer.
Extract taken from The Seafood Restaurant Cookbook by Rick and Jill Stein (Jon Croft Editions, Hardback, £35). Photographs © Rick Stein/Sam A Harris.
More advice and inspiration
Find more advice and insights around foodservice trends and menu inspiration.
