Keiron Stevens has joined Leamington Spa’s Mallory Court Hotel and Spa as executive head chef to drive forward the venue’s wide-ranging catering operations – including the flagship 3 AA Rosette restaurant The Dining Room at The Manor House – with evolving seasonal dishes.
To mark the appointment, LLM – Luxury Lifestyle Magazine caught up with Keiron to learn more about his old-school approach to landing that first job, his Michelin pedigree, and the importance of utilising seasonal produce from the hotel’s kitchen garden.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including your where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
I was very fortunate in many ways as I started my career in a two-Michelin starred restaurant in my hometown of Cheltenham called Le Champignon Sauvage, run by David Everitt-Matthias. I just walked in during the school holidays and asked if I could see what it’s like working in a restaurant of this standard, and they said yes. I was there for a week doing the washing up, then stayed another week and became David’s apprentice. I was there four-and-a-half years and learnt so much under him.
After that, I worked under the guidance of Michael Wignall at Pennyhill Park in Surrey and Gidleigh Park in Devon who was another tremendous influence on me. I then moved to America for a year working in Benu in San Francisco which was three-Michelin starred Korean fine dining and a fantastic experience in a really demanding kitchen. I came back to England to become head chef at Adams in Birmingham where I maintained its Michelin star, and then onto Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa.
When the executive head chef role came up at Mallory Court, it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to build on its incredible reputation and bring my own style and flavours. It’s really well known in the industry and I’m looking forward to elevating its profile in Leamington and regionally as the place to go for good-quality food.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
There wasn’t a certain person or moment really, I just really enjoyed food growing up.
Some of my earliest memories with food are with my grandparents, cooking with my grandma or watching my granddad who was a farmer and being fascinated by the whole farming process, so they influenced me growing up.
As I got older, I think I knew I wanted to go down the food route in some capacity, but I suppose it really clicked for me when I began working at Le Champignon Sauvage. That’s when I knew I wanted to become a chef in a professional kitchen.
Who has been your biggest influence to get you to where you are today?
I learnt so much from David at Le Champignon Sauvage. He opened the door for me and taught me how to cook really.
Michael Wignall has also been a huge influence in my career. He really helped me refine my cooking styles at Pennyhill Park and Gidleigh Park and instilled a lot of discipline into me which is something I’ve taken with me to my own kitchens.
What’s your signature dish?
Everyone I talk to is really positive about the pork belly on the menu, so I’d say that!
The meat is brined and slow-cooked for 24 hours before it’s crisped up in the pan. We serve it with potato terrine, Roscoff onion in garlic and butter, French-trimmed suckling pork rack, a white bean puree and a beer vinegar gel. It’s become a real favourite already.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
My main focus is putting good food on a plate that makes people happy. I’ve always been led by seasonality too – I don’t want to have strawberries on in December for instance – but I think that emphasis on seasonal produce is something which has always worked well at Mallory Court. We’ve always had a daily-changing Taste of the Season menu in The Dining Room restaurant which is inspired by the seasons and utilises produce grown in-house within our kitchen gardens. Ultimately, it’s well-executed dishes, utilising the best-quality produce which is in season.
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
To some extent, but not always. For instance, capers are my worst nightmare and you won’t see them on a menu of mine. But then I’m not a huge fan of turnips either, yet it’s a real star on our duck dish. We use the whole of the turnip and make it into a white turnip puree, turnip fondant, and a caramelised turnip fondue, so nothing goes to waste. It’s what you do with ingredients, often.
How would you describe your cooking style?
It’s creating well-executed dishes, combining the best local produce and flavours.
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
Absolutely, I’d say spring. As soon as you see asparagus and wild garlic, I always think of that as the year starting in the food world.
What is your favourite ingredient to create with?
Salt, butter and vinegar.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
I don’t like sitting down too long as I get fidgety, so I’d probably say doing something with my hands – maybe woodwork. Whether I’d be any good at it is another thing!
When are you happiest?
When I’m at home with my little girl, just playing. I like nothing more than a bit of family time.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
I love to cook a roast dinner – although I hate the washing up! It’s a proper, hearty family meal, packed full of flavour, and that’s something I’m looking to replicate at The Dining Room.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
We have just bought a new barbeque grill at Mallory Court and I think it’s going to me by new favourite piece of kit! It packs a punch in terms of flavour and I think it will help elevate the culinary experience – not just when cooking meat, but for fish and vegetables too.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
Enjoying family days with my daughter.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
An Indian.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
I had an incredible meal recently at The Halfway at Kineton, which is run by Nathan Eades. It’s only 20 minutes away from me where I live in Cheltenham so it’s my favourite local restaurant.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
I don’t like tuiles or stencils and things like that which are used for decoration. It doesn’t really float my boat. The majority of them don’t taste of much.
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
Food provenance is really important at Mallory Court, both for us in terms of sourcing the best local produce and working to support some of our brilliant local suppliers, but also for our guests to know where their food has come from and bringing them on that journey with us. Having our own kitchen gardens is fantastic as a chef too as I can work with the gardener to plan what’s coming up.
In terms of flavours, it depends on the produce. Things like Evesham asparagus is just down the road and is incredible – everybody knows it and wants to use it. Other things are not as good as what you are going to get further away in all honesty, so things like lobsters and scallops are things we’ll bring in from Scotland. We want the very best ingredients so are not shy to non-local produce either.
How would you describe the food you create at The Dining Room to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
Seasonally-led and full of flavour. It’s good cooking, precisely executed.
As well as that it’s also about creating the right environment. We want The Dining Room to be a venue for everybody, so an 18-year-old going out on a date for the first time is just as comfortable as a 75-year-old man going out for his wedding anniversary. It’s about creating a comfortable environment for people to enjoy good food and looking forward to their next visit.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
We currently have a mascarpone and coffee dessert, paired with a yoghurt ice cream. It’s traditional tiramisu flavours which work beautifully, but elevated really well.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
It’s creating well-executed dishes, combining the best local produce and flavours.
What do your future plans entail?
At the minute, I’m really focused on Mallory Court and what we can do with The Dining Room. It’s a move forward professionally for me and I’m excited to create my own food and evolve the offering here.
We are also looking at ways to adapt the concept of our sister restaurant at Mallory Court and that is going to be very exciting and something different.
Factbox
Address: Harbury Ln, Leamington Spa CV33 9QB
Phone: 01926 330214
Website: mallory.co.uk
All imagery credit: Mallory Court Hotel and Spa
