Every Thursday we interview chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. Today we chat to Nick Beardshaw, chef patron at Starling in Esher, Surrey.
I wish people realised… VAT is included in the menu price. When you pay £12 for a starter, the restaurant only receives £10 of it, which makes us seem more expensive than we actually are. In other countries, and indeed other UK industries, it is added afterwards at the point of receiving the bill, which makes it much more obvious to the customer what the restaurant is receiving.
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There are so many truffles out there that just are not worth the money… The right truffles, bought at the right time, are one of the best things ever, but unfortunately, there are so many that are just not worth it.
One cheap place I love near me is… Esher Best Kebab. Everything is skilfully cooked with care. There is a great selection of marinated skewers cooked over coal. We usually go for the “charcoal special” which is a massive tray of grilled meats, including a selection of skewers, kofte and doner that feeds the whole family for at least two meals!
One restaurant that’s worth blowing out for is… Dorian. The best ingredients, all cooked perfectly, in a plush Notting Hill setting. The vibe is super relaxed, no frills or fuss, just the perfect local bistro.
We’ve cut costs for our restaurant by… reducing the size of the menu. This really helps with wastage and staying in control of the food cost. It’s about making sure the dishes you have on are all absolutely quality, with something for everyone, even if it is a reduced size menu.
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My favourite cheap substitute is… chicken thighs. They are so tasty and tender when treated properly but are so often overlooked. We have a cast iron pot for slow cooking in the oven, and chicken thighs cooked in this are just magical. Tarragon chicken in white wine, chicken balti, chicken tagine, to name just a few.
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The biggest mistake I see in kitchens is… overcomplicating things. The best cooking happens when ingredients are beautifully sourced and cooked simply to allow the natural characteristics to shine.
My one piece of advice for an aspiring chef is… to be thick-skinned. There is a lot of criticism if you work at a high level, and you need to be able to use it to improve. You also need to be able to be self-critical to continue to improve.
My favourite cookbook is… Harold McGee’s On Food And Cooking. It explains every detail of what is happening during every imaginable cooking process. There is an answer for virtually any question you might have with regards to cooking.
