Hotel Restaurant Chef of the Year Sponsored by Brakes
Hotel Restaurant Chef of the Year
WINNER Mathew Sherry, Number One, the Balmoral 2023
THE SHORTLIST Samira Effa
Grantley Hall Rob Mason
The Cottage in the Wood
Mathew Sherry The Balmoral
Tom Tsappis Killiecrankie House
Mathew Sherry joined Number One, the fine dining restaurant at Edinburgh’s the Balmoral a Rocco Forte Hotel over two years ago and in that time has continuously elevated the expe- rience for both his team and guests. The head chef oversees the 50 cover res- taurant, focussing on dinner service with his brigade of 15 chefs. He works closely with res- taurant manager Emma Lonie and her 28 strong front of house team, to deliver a seven course sea- sonal menu inspired by Scottish produce. Solely delivering a seasonal fine dining
menu means the team at Number One can focus on a few outstanding dishes, improve food costs and reduce wastage. Sherry has optimised staffing levels, while inspiring the team to deliver a new menu every six to eight weeks. To remain attractive in a competitive city market Sherry has introduced a midweek £85, three course menu which has appealed to a new profile of guest, who in many cases have returned for the full seven course experience. While uptake for the seven course menu is extremely high, new beverage initiatives between Sherry and restaurant manager Lonie have driven average beverage spend. Their efforts have increased monthly revenue by 10% year on year. Meanwhile, Sherry has been integral to the development of a new private dining room, which was completed in July 2023. The space allows an extra level of dining for guests, pro- viding an exclusive and personal experience, with an intimate private room and the option for a completely tailored menu. It was used six times in its first six weeks, achieving thou- sands of pounds in extra revenue and attract- ing attention from local and national press. Though it has been a challenging time for
staff retention and recruitment, Sherry has lead, coached and mentored his team through the last two years and kept 50% of the opening
67
“We loved how he brings together front and back of house to treat them
as one team” Fiona Lane
team within the brigade. He also takes the time to bring together
front of house and the kitchen brigade as one team to promote passion for the produce and the people behind the menu. He creates reci- pes and fact sheets, and holds team tastings at various stages of menu development. Sherry also champions supplier meetings, visits and training, encouraging his team to visit and learn from their suppliers. And Sherry’s cooking has garnered crit-
ical acclaim too. He achieved entry into the Michelin Guide seven months after taking over Number One, four AA Rosettes were also awarded in his first year and the restaurant received a score of 30/30 in the food section of the AA hotel report. Now he can add a Hotel Catey to his list of accolades.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID “It’s clear that the kitchen and front of house support and work well together, inspired by the work Matthew does and the value he places on collaboration.” Sarah Williams
“We loved how he brings together front and back of house to treat them as one team. Evidently a great chef with strong leadership.” Fiona Lane
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
