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Home The 1% Club Podcasts Editorial News Picture Gallery Two Views Sommelier Chef's Table Front-of-House Features Book Reviews Travel The Guides Michelin Guide Relais & Chateaux National Guides Europe 25 Contact |
Tell us about your background prior to starting your own restaurant?
For two years, I was head chef at a restaurant local to Leamington Spa called Mallory Court. Prior
to that I spent six months with Gary Jones at Waldos, Cliveden - Gary’s now back as head chef at
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. I learned so much from him and not just the cooking – his natural
enthusiasm and man management qualities. Before that I was at Ettington Park in Stratford upon
Avon.
What are your memories of The Roux Scholarship and what it has meant to you?
It was back in 1997 when I was at Ettington Park. That was really the start of a new career, having
previously worked in maximum two rosette country houses, I had the opportunity to consider the
profession differently - as an exciting career.
Among other things, I had the chance to spend three months in the kitchen of Alain Ducasse in
Paris. (I believe I was the second to do so after Jonathan Harrison) - a truly amazing experience,
you would start at 5.30am and work right through to 1am.
I’ll always feel indebted to the Roux Scholarship for that experience. The time there was a real
education; just understanding what three Michelin Stars meant was an eye opener. For example,
one of their biggest sellers were three and half langoustines steamed, cut in half then covered with
a layer of caviar. I was expecting complexity on the plate but in fact it was about the preparation,
flavour and execution of the ingredients. Some of the spicing I've never managed to source since.
The start was quite intimidating - a young English guy coming into a kitchen of 30 chefs for 50
covers – a different culture to the UK where you're lucky to find 6 or 7 for 80 covers. What is more,
all the chefs were passionate and dedicated, they rightly saw it as a privilege to work in the
Ducasse kitchen.
I arrived just after their summer break, Alain Ducasse came in and muttered something to each
member of the team, when he spoke to me, I said, “sorry chef I don’t understand” - he realized I
was the Englishman on the Roux scholarship and was immediately friendly – I could feel the
daggers going into my back! (laughing). Actually, a couple of the guys in the brigade were very
helpful, one in particular was Claude Bosi (now of Hibiscus): Claude was a Chef de Partie on the
sauces. He can seem an imposing kind of guy when you first meet him but he was very friendly.
The industry has had more exposure in recent years?
There are chefs on TV that have done great things for the industry, then there are also those that
create the perception among younger entrants that high earning head chef jobs come by the age of
21 - quickly followed by making a fortune doing TV advertising. The reality is a long apprenticeship
and hard graft. Those that really want it soon come to the surface.
Which chefs have influenced you the most over the years?
Just about every head chef I’ve worked with for any period of time. The four year apprenticeship at
the Welcome Hotel in Stratford developed my skills significantly. Chris Hudson taught me about
kitchen management and how to make money. Glynn Hughes, a pastry chef, is someone I've
stayed in touch with and always appreciated his experience.
Michel Roux is someone I really admire and I speak to him as often as possible. I’m really
flattered when someone like him, who I put on a pedestal, asks to see our latest menu and chats
to me about it. Taking advice from masters like him is such a great help; he also gave me a
reference for the head chef job at Mallory Court.
You now have your own restaurant with a relatively small brigade?
My dream was always to start my own restaurant and when this property became available we took
the lease. There's Jacqueline on pastry; on a Friday and Saturday night, Greg from Warwick
University comes in and helps out. We’re open from Tuesday through Saturday and I have to be
here every service, if I’m not here we don't open - simple as that.
What are the essential qualities of your dishes?
In starters we look for something flavoursome but relatively light. One of the better sellers is a
multi-layered, multi-textured Salmon dish. We also want to create a wow factor in that we produce
something that people couldn't reproduce at home.
Keeping it clean and simple has really helped my cooking develop – ensuring there are no more
than two or three clean flavours on the plate and keeping the garnishes to purely those that
complement the dish. I find that creating my own style or signature has evolved from experience -
drawing on creations at other restaurants and working with other chefs but stamping my own
personality on the menu. I also appreciate having the basic grounding in butchery skills which
helps put on dishes that would be too expensive if bought in pre-prepped.
Steve Love with the Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year Award 2004
And what about the pastry side?
Garnish and sauce chefs are typically stronger in the marketplace but desserts seem to be more
of a dying art. On my first day at Cliveden, Gary Jones put me on Pastry which was an experience I
really enjoyed. It’s quite an exact science. I firmly believe that people remember the last thing they
eat, so we want to ensure the desserts and petits fours are something special. Particularly as a
head chef, or chef patron, you have to know and understand pastry to be able to instruct others as
to what you want.
What are your views on Molecular Gastronomy?
I don’t understand it, so I don’t cook it. When you run a business and have a young family finding
the time to step back and try and learn such things is difficult. I’ve not been to the Fat Duck but
would love to visit. Heston really knows what he’s doing, the trouble is with those chefs that see
what he’s doing and try to recreate it but don’t understand how it is done. The results can be quite
shocking.
What are your plans for the future?
We’ve been here three years and we’re now looking for a freehold property within the area. We did
some refurbishment quite recently but feel that this is a sunk cost in a leased property. We’re keen
to get a silent partner who will share some profit but allow us to run a business autonomously.
Ideally we’d go for a place with rooms.
Tell us about the Craft-Guilds National Chef of the Year?
I’ve been through to the finals three times. The first time I came third and was delighted. The
second time I felt confident but we’d just opened the restaurant. This proved very challenging -
driving back and forth to cook service in the restaurant while giving my best to the competition
proved impossible. This year we decided to shut the restaurant and were delighted to win the
heats, we also decided to stay over in London. Brian Turner, Jean Christophe Novelli and John
Burton-Race were part of the panel of around 20 judges. You were given a list of ingredients to
produce a menu. I cooked a Lobster Ravioli with a Langoustine on top with a Celery Broth and
Lime Jam to cut through the fish. Main course was squab pigeon. I boned the leg and along with a
farce from the livers, some white pudding and chicken, made a mini ballontine. This was on some
braised lentils with a pumpkin puree, a mild garlic broth and a jus made from the pigeon bones.
Dessert was a tempered chocolate collar, poppy seeds, raspberries macerated in whiskey to help
cut through the sweetness of the chocolate with a banana and whiskey ice cream. As well as the
overall first prize, the squab pigeon was awarded best main course.
For two years, I was head chef at a restaurant local to Leamington Spa called Mallory Court. Prior
to that I spent six months with Gary Jones at Waldos, Cliveden - Gary’s now back as head chef at
Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. I learned so much from him and not just the cooking – his natural
enthusiasm and man management qualities. Before that I was at Ettington Park in Stratford upon
Avon.
What are your memories of The Roux Scholarship and what it has meant to you?
It was back in 1997 when I was at Ettington Park. That was really the start of a new career, having
previously worked in maximum two rosette country houses, I had the opportunity to consider the
profession differently - as an exciting career.
Among other things, I had the chance to spend three months in the kitchen of Alain Ducasse in
Paris. (I believe I was the second to do so after Jonathan Harrison) - a truly amazing experience,
you would start at 5.30am and work right through to 1am.
I’ll always feel indebted to the Roux Scholarship for that experience. The time there was a real
education; just understanding what three Michelin Stars meant was an eye opener. For example,
one of their biggest sellers were three and half langoustines steamed, cut in half then covered with
a layer of caviar. I was expecting complexity on the plate but in fact it was about the preparation,
flavour and execution of the ingredients. Some of the spicing I've never managed to source since.
The start was quite intimidating - a young English guy coming into a kitchen of 30 chefs for 50
covers – a different culture to the UK where you're lucky to find 6 or 7 for 80 covers. What is more,
all the chefs were passionate and dedicated, they rightly saw it as a privilege to work in the
Ducasse kitchen.
I arrived just after their summer break, Alain Ducasse came in and muttered something to each
member of the team, when he spoke to me, I said, “sorry chef I don’t understand” - he realized I
was the Englishman on the Roux scholarship and was immediately friendly – I could feel the
daggers going into my back! (laughing). Actually, a couple of the guys in the brigade were very
helpful, one in particular was Claude Bosi (now of Hibiscus): Claude was a Chef de Partie on the
sauces. He can seem an imposing kind of guy when you first meet him but he was very friendly.
The industry has had more exposure in recent years?
There are chefs on TV that have done great things for the industry, then there are also those that
create the perception among younger entrants that high earning head chef jobs come by the age of
21 - quickly followed by making a fortune doing TV advertising. The reality is a long apprenticeship
and hard graft. Those that really want it soon come to the surface.
Which chefs have influenced you the most over the years?
Just about every head chef I’ve worked with for any period of time. The four year apprenticeship at
the Welcome Hotel in Stratford developed my skills significantly. Chris Hudson taught me about
kitchen management and how to make money. Glynn Hughes, a pastry chef, is someone I've
stayed in touch with and always appreciated his experience.
Michel Roux is someone I really admire and I speak to him as often as possible. I’m really
flattered when someone like him, who I put on a pedestal, asks to see our latest menu and chats
to me about it. Taking advice from masters like him is such a great help; he also gave me a
reference for the head chef job at Mallory Court.
You now have your own restaurant with a relatively small brigade?
My dream was always to start my own restaurant and when this property became available we took
the lease. There's Jacqueline on pastry; on a Friday and Saturday night, Greg from Warwick
University comes in and helps out. We’re open from Tuesday through Saturday and I have to be
here every service, if I’m not here we don't open - simple as that.
What are the essential qualities of your dishes?
In starters we look for something flavoursome but relatively light. One of the better sellers is a
multi-layered, multi-textured Salmon dish. We also want to create a wow factor in that we produce
something that people couldn't reproduce at home.
Keeping it clean and simple has really helped my cooking develop – ensuring there are no more
than two or three clean flavours on the plate and keeping the garnishes to purely those that
complement the dish. I find that creating my own style or signature has evolved from experience -
drawing on creations at other restaurants and working with other chefs but stamping my own
personality on the menu. I also appreciate having the basic grounding in butchery skills which
helps put on dishes that would be too expensive if bought in pre-prepped.
Steve Love with the Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year Award 2004
And what about the pastry side?
Garnish and sauce chefs are typically stronger in the marketplace but desserts seem to be more
of a dying art. On my first day at Cliveden, Gary Jones put me on Pastry which was an experience I
really enjoyed. It’s quite an exact science. I firmly believe that people remember the last thing they
eat, so we want to ensure the desserts and petits fours are something special. Particularly as a
head chef, or chef patron, you have to know and understand pastry to be able to instruct others as
to what you want.
What are your views on Molecular Gastronomy?
I don’t understand it, so I don’t cook it. When you run a business and have a young family finding
the time to step back and try and learn such things is difficult. I’ve not been to the Fat Duck but
would love to visit. Heston really knows what he’s doing, the trouble is with those chefs that see
what he’s doing and try to recreate it but don’t understand how it is done. The results can be quite
shocking.
What are your plans for the future?
We’ve been here three years and we’re now looking for a freehold property within the area. We did
some refurbishment quite recently but feel that this is a sunk cost in a leased property. We’re keen
to get a silent partner who will share some profit but allow us to run a business autonomously.
Ideally we’d go for a place with rooms.
Tell us about the Craft-Guilds National Chef of the Year?
I’ve been through to the finals three times. The first time I came third and was delighted. The
second time I felt confident but we’d just opened the restaurant. This proved very challenging -
driving back and forth to cook service in the restaurant while giving my best to the competition
proved impossible. This year we decided to shut the restaurant and were delighted to win the
heats, we also decided to stay over in London. Brian Turner, Jean Christophe Novelli and John
Burton-Race were part of the panel of around 20 judges. You were given a list of ingredients to
produce a menu. I cooked a Lobster Ravioli with a Langoustine on top with a Celery Broth and
Lime Jam to cut through the fish. Main course was squab pigeon. I boned the leg and along with a
farce from the livers, some white pudding and chicken, made a mini ballontine. This was on some
braised lentils with a pumpkin puree, a mild garlic broth and a jus made from the pigeon bones.
Dessert was a tempered chocolate collar, poppy seeds, raspberries macerated in whiskey to help
cut through the sweetness of the chocolate with a banana and whiskey ice cream. As well as the
overall first prize, the squab pigeon was awarded best main course.
| Claire and Steve Love. |
| Steve with Daniel Darwood. |
Steve and Claire Love are enjoying a personal and professional year to remember. The hard
working couple, each with humility and charm in equal measure, recently celebrated their wedding.
A shared passion extends to their restaurant in Leamington Spa; one of those establishments
that reach the culinary heights and deserve the greatest admiration. Why? As a member of the
small but exclusive club of husband a wife teams who (with a couple of helpers) work every service
their restaurant is open and make just enough profit to maintain their business. Scant rewards for
their talents.
Love's is at last enjoying the type of national recognition that it fully deserves. By sheer serendipity
I discovered the restaurant shortly after it opened and have never been disappointed, easily
proving worth the occasional special journey north.
Steve is the newly crowned Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year. An honour which proved a
significant staging post for the likes of Gordon Ramsay, David Everitt-Matthias (Le Champignon
Sauvage) and Mark Sargeant (Claridges). Less than a fortnight later, The 2005 Which? Good Food
Guide saw fit to promote the restaurant to 6/10 and award Warwickshire Restaurant of The Year.
The Editor of the guide, Andrew Turvil, made reference to the restaurant in the Consumer
Association press release which resulted in some welcome national press coverage. The start of
November saw yet more momentum when the trade magazine Caterer & Hotelkeeper ran a five
page masterclass piece. Better still, Jan Moir of The Telegraph made a rare trip north of Watford
and was suitably impressed. Quite a feat as she's one of the most discerning food critics and
notoriously hard to please.
Somewhere in between all this, Steve Love kindly found time to sit down with Daniel Darwood of
fine-dining-guide.com
working couple, each with humility and charm in equal measure, recently celebrated their wedding.
A shared passion extends to their restaurant in Leamington Spa; one of those establishments
that reach the culinary heights and deserve the greatest admiration. Why? As a member of the
small but exclusive club of husband a wife teams who (with a couple of helpers) work every service
their restaurant is open and make just enough profit to maintain their business. Scant rewards for
their talents.
Love's is at last enjoying the type of national recognition that it fully deserves. By sheer serendipity
I discovered the restaurant shortly after it opened and have never been disappointed, easily
proving worth the occasional special journey north.
Steve is the newly crowned Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year. An honour which proved a
significant staging post for the likes of Gordon Ramsay, David Everitt-Matthias (Le Champignon
Sauvage) and Mark Sargeant (Claridges). Less than a fortnight later, The 2005 Which? Good Food
Guide saw fit to promote the restaurant to 6/10 and award Warwickshire Restaurant of The Year.
The Editor of the guide, Andrew Turvil, made reference to the restaurant in the Consumer
Association press release which resulted in some welcome national press coverage. The start of
November saw yet more momentum when the trade magazine Caterer & Hotelkeeper ran a five
page masterclass piece. Better still, Jan Moir of The Telegraph made a rare trip north of Watford
and was suitably impressed. Quite a feat as she's one of the most discerning food critics and
notoriously hard to please.
Somewhere in between all this, Steve Love kindly found time to sit down with Daniel Darwood of
fine-dining-guide.com
So it was time to leave - Steve had spoiled us with his time and his
food. They were planning a series of dinners to celebrate the
Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year award. The winning menu
being reproduced with a generous list of wines.
food. They were planning a series of dinners to celebrate the
Craft-Guild National Chef of The Year award. The winning menu
being reproduced with a generous list of wines.
| Copyright fine-dining-guide.com 2004-2005. All Rights Reserved. |
| Postscirpt August 2008: Steve Love is now at The Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden |