Harrison Brockington is the head chef at Gather, a fine dining restaurant in the Devon market town of Totnes that he helped set up in 2019 when he was just 20 years old.
The 24-year-old and a group of friends joined forces to create a unique dining experience built on a philosophy around sourcing the finest produce from the fields, rivers, and hedgerows of Devon, ensuring that each dish is both fresh and sustainable.
The menu at Gather features dishes that change with the seasons along with a carefully curated wine list designed to complement the flavours of its dishes. Whether you’re looking for a special night out or a unique culinary adventure, Gather promises a fine dining experience that celebrates the rich bounty of Devon.
Harrison graced MasterChef: The Professionals back in 2020 and the restaurant was also featured on Channel 4’s Remarkable Places to Eat in Devon in August 2023. He has also just won the coveted South West Chef of the Year competition for 2024, taking first place in the highly regarded Professional Chef category and also the overall winner in all categories.
We sat down with the talented chef to find out more about his exciting career, his inspirations and why autumn is his favourite time of year.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including your where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
Since a young age I have been passionate about food, but it wasn’t until I was in secondary school and undertook Food Technology that I truly developed my love for cooking. Following the end of my GCSE years, I undertook professional cookery qualifications at the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College.
During my time at college, I secured my first professional cooking job at the Abode Exeter (The Royal Clarence). Then I had the opportunity to work alongside the renowned John Burton-Race at The Grosvenor Hotel.
Outside of work I enjoy a spot of gardening, particularly, growing my own fruits and vegetables. Walking is another activity I relish when not in the kitchen.
In 2018, I, along with my friends Declan and Ollie, started running monthly pop-up restaurants in varying locations around Torbay. This was our chance to showcase our talent as well as developing our own menus. This led to the opening of the Gather restaurant in Totnes in 2019, once the pop-ups had established a popular fan base for our food.
What, or who, inspired you to become a chef?
Thomas Keller.
Who has been your biggest influence to get you to where you are today?
My old tutor at Exeter College, David Beazley, introduced me to the world of foraging as an excellent and sustainable alternative to overseas ingredients. He still provides his expertise by supplying the restaurant with ingredients he has recently foraged and as a guest speaker for the highly anticipated ‘Foraged Events’ evening.
What’s your signature dish?
Our menu changes on a monthly basis so this is hard to pick. However, the must-try dish for October is loin of venison with wild mushrooms and medlars.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
Seasonality – making use of ingredients that are available during that season.
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
Yes, Devon has an amazing selection of fresh produce which I always find inspiring. This is what helped coin Gather’s tagline ‘hedge, river and field’, as these areas all offer unique ingredients that I like to showcase.
How would you describe your cooking style?
Classical, inventive, original and relaxed.
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
I look forward to each season and the ingredients on offer. But if I had to choose it would have to be autumn and wild game.
What is your favourite ingredient to create with?
Mushrooms, in particular, are my favourite item to forage as there is always a huge diversity of options in the Devon countryside.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
As mentioned above, I enjoy gardening and growing my own fruits and vegetables so I would probably be an arable farmer.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
After a long day in the kitchen I look forward to comfort food, in particular a hearty lasagne with garlic bread.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
Knives.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
Foraging or out for a nice walk in the Devonshire countryside.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Indian – reminds me of my childhood in India.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
I like to try something new each time I go out but in terms of most frequented restaurant this is probably McDonalds.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
Food decorated in gold leaf, I find it unnecessary and it doesn’t add to the flavour of the food.
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
It is nice knowing where ingredients come from – our favourite saying is what grows together goes together.
How do you go about menu planning? What’s the process from picking the ingredients to getting them fresh into the kitchen and into dishes?
We sit down as a team either after a shift or day off and decide what dishes we want to try out for the coming month based on what ingredients will be readily available.
How would you describe the food you create at Gather to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
Relaxed fine dining of classic food with a foraging twist.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
Sweet with something rich e.g. duck with plum sauce or lamb and mint sauce.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
Using ingredients foraged from the Devon countryside and using ingredients that are grown/farmed by local businesses.
What do your future plans entail?
Upcoming plans I have consist of trialling new culinary techniques to add further variety to my menus. My longer-term plan for Gather is to expand to a larger premise (hopefully with the addition of outdoor space).
Factbox
Address: 50 Fore St, Totnes TQ9 5RP
Phone: 01803 866666
Website: gathertotnes.com
All imagery credit: Steve Haywood Photography
