Meet the head chef at one of Scotland's most romantic restaurants

The Herald Scotland

3 days ago

Tucked away on the shores of Loch Linnhe, The Pierhouse is one of Argyll's "most idyllic and romantic destinations", offering breathtaking views to the islands of Lismore and Mull.
This week, Leathley takes on our chef Q&A:
Pictured: Michael Leathley - head chef at The Pierhouse in Argyll (Image: Supplied)
What was your first kitchen job?
I had my first taste of work experience in the late 1990s at a place on 21 Queen Street, in Newcastle. It was the first proper kitchen I'd seen. The short time I was there, set me up to keep coming back to kitchens. I still feel the same sense of excitement and energy in the kitchen today.
Where is your favourite place to eat out?
It's Riley's Fish Shack in King Edwards Bay, Tynemouth. I love sitting on the beach watching the sea. I grew up playing there so there is a bit of nostalgia. They serve great food like Bacalau fishcake, kipper wrap and hotplate potatoes with aioli.
What is your guilty pleasure meal?
My guilty food pleasure is dipping bread in the bottom of roasting pans where all the fat and grease collect, even better if there is melted cheese in there as well. Then I put salt on it. It is so bad for me, and I can feel my arteries closing when I eat it, but it is so good.
Can you share a memory of your worst kitchen disaster?
It was when I was a junior chef; it is a service that still haunts me. I was cooking a sole Florentine for a big wedding of more than 300 people. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. The course ended up being removed from the meal.
What is your signature dish?
My favourite dish at The Pierhouse is our seafood platter, including the freshest langoustines, mussels and lobsters harvested from Loch Linnhe and Loch Etive, as well as fine handpicked oysters from the oyster beds of Loch Creran, just 10 minutes from the hotel. It's quite a romantic thing to share looking out over the Loch.
Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?
My dad did a lot of cooking, and I remember all the cookbooks, Madhur Jaffrey, At Home with the Roux Brothers, Rhodes around Britain. I was always encouraged to cook and left to try things out. But in terms of chefs, I am a fan of Jeremy Lee, I love the way he writes and talks about cooking and the joys of food. The others would be Fergus Henderson and Simon Bonwick, both chefs that I rate highly. They are all inspirations for different reasons.
What is one of your pet peeves working as a chef?
Lateness, being late is just abysmal.
If you weren't a chef, what do you think you'd be doing with your life?
Unemployed. I've always liked the idea of being a writer or an artist, but I certainly wasn't on track for being either of those.
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What's your favourite trick for making cooking at home easier?
I am not a good person to ask because although is my job, it is also my hobby. So, I don't make cooking at home easier for myself. I shop first to see what's freshest and then make the menu later, so I tend to make things which are over elaborate and overcomplicated.
And as my long-suffering partner, Ieva will tell you, I always make a massive mess in the kitchen.
What has been the one highlight that stands out in your career so far?
All the awards we've received at the Pierhouse; it's been quite a whirlwind journey.
It's a huge honour to win Scotland's 'Chef of the Year' at the 'National Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards' 2025 and the Pierhouse picking up the award for Scotland's 'Romantic Restaurant of the Year'
And to represent the wonderful community here in Port Appin, and do my bit to showcase the very best of Argyll to an even wider audience. I love everything about the area; it is stunning. The people and community make that, so it's all a team effort. I can't think of anywhere else like it.