Matthew Reeder is head chef and co-owner of The Silver Cup, a fine dining pub in Harpenden. He is a passionate chef who has always loved food and cooking and is dedicated to creating imaginative modern British food. Matthew has worked in some of the top restaurants in London and Hertfordshire including Auberge du Lac, The Typing Room, The Galvin Brothers and Anglo in Farringdon where he was head chef.
He has worked with some of the top names in the industry including Lee Westcott, Mark Jarvis and Tom Spence. Driven to run his own restaurant, he began hosting weekly supper clubs at what was then his dad’s pub, The Silver Cup. These were so popular that after reconnecting with his childhood friend, Michael, they decided to launch their own restaurant and pub together in 2020.
We caught up with the chef to find out more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
I am 30 years old and been cooking since I was 16. Coming from a family that took time out from their busy lives to eat together, I soon realised how sociable food and eating is and I developed a passion for cooking for people. Professionally, I worked in a variety of kitchens in the South East of England and in Australia, Typing Room and Anglo being the two most recent. I then opened my first restaurant in 2020, at the start of the pandemic! Hard work and dedication to my craft are the are two most important things that have seen me to where I am today.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
I gain a lot of satisfaction from making food that brings people together in social occasions. This led me to pursuing a career, with guidance from my father, to applying to Westminster College, where I really started to embrace cooking as an obsession. I quickly fell in love with working in kitchens within a team of chefs, and the camaraderie that it brings.
Who has been your biggest influence to get you to where you are today?
An old friend of mine, Dan Smith, from the Fordwich Arms in Kent. We met at college and quickly became good friends. I have always admired his determination, and he has encouraged me to push myself too. He filled me with confidence when going out on my own.
What’s your signature dish?
I love cooking with game, it’s such a great British meat. It’s important to me that it has been reared and shot locally; we have to treat it very carefully to get the most out of it. Venison is a favourite, so my signature would be aged venison saddle, salt baked beetroot, pickled walnut and lardo sauce.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
Seasonality, using the right ingredients at the right time to get the best flavour into the dish. I always cook with my palate.
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
Yes absolutely, my food is always hearty, with a lot of British traditions without being overly heavy.
How would you describe your cooking style?
Classic British cooking, with modern contemporary techniques.
Do you have a favourite time of year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
I really enjoy all of the seasons, however by the time the next season comes around, I am always looking forward to the new ingredients to work with. As I mentioned before, game season is great and our countryside location offers us some brilliant local ingredients.
What is your favourite ingredient to create with?
Beetroot is great; it’s a versatile ingredient and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes, so it can span starters, mains and desserts. Beetroot also carries spice and vinegars well. I would say any ingredients that are versatile are brilliant to work with as they don’t limit your creativity.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
A suit tailor. I almost started an apprenticeship in tailoring at a similar time to going to catering college. Both vocations share characteristics; creating something for someone to enjoy, detail being paramount and working with your hands.
What is your favourite dish to cook at home?
I do enjoy a good spaghetti bolognaise, as you can put it in the slow cooker and get down to the pub for a couple of hours. In the summer, anything I can cook on the Big Green Egg!
When are you happiest?
Being surrounded by people that I am achieving great things with, or with people I love. Being a sociable person, enjoying those times together is important to me.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
Butchers saw, as I do a lot of in-house butchery, whole animals or hand cut sharing steaks.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
Dining out with my wife.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Thai, as the flavours are different to my style of cooking.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend?
Fermenting – I understand it’s a great profile as acidity is brilliant for lightening dishes, however I think it went through a phase of being over used.
How have the lockdown restrictions affected your work?
I have had to try a variety of different styles of business to get through, from small plates to takeaways to set menus. Also, the proceeding staffing crisis has added some serious difficulties in to how we operate our business. However, we want to be the change to make our industry better, so are very conscious of work life balance and instilling this in our staff.
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?
Collaboratively with my team, we discuss what is coming in to season and bounce ideas around each other. The dish is then tested and trialled, not always successfully! If successful, it is then refined for the menu. Daily ordering means that we get the best of the season, everything is prepped fresh for that day, we aim not not hold too much stock and make everything we can in-house.
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 easier to build a relationship and an understanding of what we want. This means that over time we get better produce, which leads to better flavour.
How would you describe the food you create at The Silver Cup to someone who’s never experienced your kind of food?
Delicious, interesting, British and accessible
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
Turbot, pear and pickled walnut
What do your future plans entail?
I’ve always loved the idea of a Spanish tapas restaurant, as my partner is from Spain and we have spent a lot of time there. The joy of doing a few things exceptionally well and the buzz of restaurants is very appealing.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
Attentive casual dining in a relaxed friendly atmosphere, that welcomes all. Pub being short for Public House it is important for us to keep hold of that tradition welcoming everyone. Great food isn’t just for the rich and famous.
