Latest news with #MarkBirchall
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top chef Ryan Honey reveals the cheap place he loves - and the overrated chain he would avoid
Every Thursday, our Money blog team interviews chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. This week, we chat to Ryan Honey, head chef at The Duke in Henley-on-Thames. The best chef in the UK is… Mark Birchall at Moor Hall, hands down. The guy has just bagged three Michelin stars, and if that doesn't make him the best in the country right now, I don't know what does. His food is next-level, the kind of stuff that makes chefs jealous. If you're not dreaming of eating at Moor Hall, are you even serious about food? Check today's Money blog The worst type of behaviour in kitchens is… people who walk in thinking they're Gordon Ramsay before they've even mastered chopping an onion. I once had a guy in an interview tell me he didn't believe in "kitchen hierarchy" and that he'd "rather collaborate than take orders". Safe to say, he didn't make it past the trial shift. A kitchen runs on discipline and respect - if you don't get that, you're in the wrong industry. The one thing you never, ever want to see on a menu again is... snails. I know, I know, the French will come for me, but I just don't get it. They're chewy, they taste like whatever you drown them in, and honestly, I'd rather eat the garlic butter on its own. Some things just don't need to be on a plate - snails are one of them. A tip that non-chefs might not know to make them a better cook or make a certain ingredient better… salt your meat way earlier than you think you should. Like, hours before. Let it sit and soak in. Most home cooks season just before cooking, but if you give salt time to do its thing, the flavour goes deep, and you get a better crust. Also, stop being scared of butter. It makes everything better. The one thing you hate that some customers do is… ordering a steak well done and then complaining it's tough. Mate, you just asked me to cremate a £40 piece of meat - what did you expect? Also, people who rush the kitchen when they can see we're at full tilt. You came for a good meal, not a drive-thru burger - relax, have a drink, and trust us to do our job. Read more from this series: One cheap place I love to eat is... The Bird in Hand in Sandhurst. It's one of those old-school, no-nonsense pubs where the food is actually good rather than just being "good for a pub". I always get the satay chicken kebabs with chips and salad -simple, tasty, and always bang on. One way we save money is... cutting waste by only ordering what we need daily, we make sure everything gets used, and negotiating hard with suppliers. Could the government help? Of course - lower VAT for hospitality, better support for small businesses, and maybe a bit of regulation on wholesale food pricing wouldn't go amiss. But until then, we just have to keep adapting. My tip for preventing waste is… use everything. Peel, stems, bones, offcuts - there's always a way to get more out of your ingredients. We dehydrate veg peelings and turn them into powders for seasoning, use bones for stocks, and any decent trimmings go into pies or terrines. Waste isn't just bad for the planet; it's literally throwing money in the bin. My favourite restaurant chain is… Miller & Carter. It's just solid, well-cooked steak. If I'm sharing, it's the côte de boeuf every time. But if we're talking about overrated chains? Nando's. Sorry, but it's just chicken with some decent seasoning - why are we all acting like it's some kind of life-changing experience? One ingredient you should never skimp on is… a proper olive oil. A cheap one is pointless - it's like drinking bad wine. But I'll give rapeseed oil some credit; a good cold-pressed one can be great for cooking at high temps. Still, for dressings, finishing, or dipping bread? Olive oil all the way. You get what you pay for.
Sky News
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Top chef Ryan Honey reveals the cheap place he loves - and the overrated chain he would avoid
Every Thursday, our Money blog team interviews chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. This week, we chat to Ryan Honey, head chef at The Duke in Henley-on-Thames. The best chef in the UK is… Mark Birchall at Moor Hall, hands down. The guy has just bagged three Michelin stars, and if that doesn't make him the best in the country right now, I don't know what does. His food is next-level, the kind of stuff that makes chefs jealous. If you're not dreaming of eating at Moor Hall, are you even serious about food? The worst type of behaviour in kitchens is… people who walk in thinking they're Gordon Ramsay before they've even mastered chopping an onion. I once had a guy in an interview tell me he didn't believe in "kitchen hierarchy" and that he'd "rather collaborate than take orders". Safe to say, he didn't make it past the trial shift. A kitchen runs on discipline and respect - if you don't get that, you're in the wrong industry. The one thing you never, ever want to see on a menu again is... snails. I know, I know, the French will come for me, but I just don't get it. They're chewy, they taste like whatever you drown them in, and honestly, I'd rather eat the garlic butter on its own. Some things just don't need to be on a plate - snails are one of them. A tip that non-chefs might not know to make them a better cook or make a certain ingredient better… salt your meat way earlier than you think you should. Like, hours before. Let it sit and soak in. Most home cooks season just before cooking, but if you give salt time to do its thing, the flavour goes deep, and you get a better crust. Also, stop being scared of butter. It makes everything better. The one thing you hate that some customers do is… ordering a steak well done and then complaining it's tough. Mate, you just asked me to cremate a £40 piece of meat - what did you expect? Also, people who rush the kitchen when they can see we're at full tilt. You came for a good meal, not a drive-thru burger - relax, have a drink, and trust us to do our job. One cheap place I love to eat is... The Bird in Hand in Sandhurst. It's one of those old-school, no-nonsense pubs where the food is actually good rather than just being "good for a pub". I always get the satay chicken kebabs with chips and salad -simple, tasty, and always bang on. One way we save money is... cutting waste by only ordering what we need daily, we make sure everything gets used, and negotiating hard with suppliers. Could the government help? Of course - lower VAT for hospitality, better support for small businesses, and maybe a bit of regulation on wholesale food pricing wouldn't go amiss. But until then, we just have to keep adapting. My tip for preventing waste is… use everything. Peel, stems, bones, offcuts - there's always a way to get more out of your ingredients. We dehydrate veg peelings and turn them into powders for seasoning, use bones for stocks, and any decent trimmings go into pies or terrines. Waste isn't just bad for the planet; it's literally throwing money in the bin. My favourite restaurant chain is… Miller & Carter. It's just solid, well-cooked steak. If I'm sharing, it's the côte de boeuf every time. But if we're talking about overrated chains? Nando's. Sorry, but it's just chicken with some decent seasoning - why are we all acting like it's some kind of life-changing experience? One ingredient you should never skimp on is… a proper olive oil. A cheap one is pointless - it's like drinking bad wine. But I'll give rapeseed oil some credit; a good cold-pressed one can be great for cooking at high temps. Still, for dressings, finishing, or dipping bread? Olive oil all the way. You get what you pay for.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- BBC News
Britain's tastiest town: Where Michelin chefs and gingerbread queens reign
Home to three Michelin-starred restaurants and a royal gingerbread legacy, the unassuming Lancashire town of Ormskirk is fast becoming the UK's most delicious destination. When it comes to UK destinations for a gourmet weekend away, there's a new name on the lips of serious foodies. Forget the metropolitan streets of Chelsea, Mayfair or even Edinburgh. Britain's latest gastronomic hotspot is in the rural hinterlands of deepest Lancashire. Holidaymakers journeying to this historic county in north-west England – a key location in the English and Industrial revolutions – would have traditionally been heading for Blackpool, the classic British seaside resort whose best-known epicurean delight is Blackpool Rock, a tooth-shatteringly tough cylindrical stick of boiled sugar and glucose syrup. But, for those with more refined palates – or more delicate dental work – the tastiest rewards are to be found in Ormskirk, a bustling market town that was once a Viking settlement, and in Aughton, the small village next door. It's in this small village where Mark Birchall serves as chef patron of Moor Hall, a produce-driven restaurant within the grounds of a Grade II-listed, 16th-Century manor house. And at this year's Michelin awards, he was the only chef in Britain and Ireland to have been awarded a third Michelin star. As such, he has become one of only 10 chefs in the country (and fewer than 150 in the entire world) to hold the three-star accolade, a designation signalling that, according to the tyre company's inspectors, a restaurant is worth making a dedicated journey for. No stranger to recognition, Moor Hall was voted Best Restaurant in England in the 2023 National Restaurant Awards, and also possesses a green Michelin star for the sustainable cooking practices used to create its 18-course tasting menu. Additionally, Birchall's "neighbourhood restaurant", The Barn (offering more casual dining at a lower price point), is a mere 30 second stroll around the lake from Moor Hall and possesses a Michelin star of its very own too. As if that weren't enough, less than 10 minutes' walk away is Chef Tim Allen's restaurant sō-lō which has a Michelin star as well, bringing the total to a rather stellar six in the space of less than half a mile. So what makes the food so special in this part of Lancashire, I ask Birchall as he forages for micro herbs and other ingredients on Moor Hall's six-acre country estate, dotted with secluded luxury garden rooms where diners can stay. "Aughton and Ormskirk have a deep-rooted connection to the land, and that plays a massive part in why the food here is so special," he tells me. "The landscape, the soil, the weather – it all contributes to the quality of the produce. We're lucky to have incredibly fertile, well-draining soil, which means the fruit and vegetables – particularly leafy greens, brassicas and root veg – even the grass that feeds the livestock, are all packed with flavour." Indeed, the West Lancashire coastal plain between Preston and Southport is often referred to as "the salad bowl of England". According to the National Farmers Union, England's north-west region accounts for 15% of the country's food production, leading them to call it "Britain's farming powerhouse". "The climate, too, plays its role," Birchall continues. "We get just the right balance – enough rain to keep things abundant, but not so much that it drowns the land. That allows for a longer growing season, and when you combine that with generations of skilled farmers who understand how to work with the land, you get outstanding ingredients. It's that connection between produce and place that really sets the region apart." Allen agrees with Birchall, with whom he consulted before opening sō-lō. He has seen an influx of foodies not just from London (which is a little more than two hours away by train) but from right across the globe. "We get people coming from America, Mexico, Norway, Finland, even Singapore," Allen tells me. "But also, because we're located midway between Liverpool and Manchester – whose football teams (Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United) are massive – you get a lot of people travelling for the football. And many of them, it turns out, quite like eating Michelin-starred food." Perhaps unsurprisingly, these discerning fans eschew the plastic platefuls of pie and chips usually consumed on the terraces to partake of Allen's altogether more elevated offerings; dishes made with ingredients such as Louet Fessier oyster emulsion, Oscietra caviar and salt-baked celeriac (which he employs somebody to grow purely for sō-lō's seven-course tasting menu). But this part of Lancashire offers more than the ultra-modern cordon bleu cuisine of Moor Hall and sō-lō; travellers in search of the area's deepest culinary roots may find them at the famous Omskirk Market. Held on Thursdays and Saturdays, it is one of the country's oldest (King Edward I granted it a Royal Charter in 1286) and is where you can sample the town's original claim to culinary fame: gingerbread. As far back as 1732, recipes for the spicy baked treat were being passed down through generations of Ormskirkers. Sellers – almost exclusively women identified by their white shawls and aprons – would tout fresh gingerbread to passengers on the stagecoaches that stopped at the inns along Aughton Street on their way from Liverpool to Preston. When Ormskirk railway station opened in 1849, the women switched to targeting train passengers. More like this:• The English wine that's rivalling Champagne• Is the future of French cheese at stake?• The surprising 'lesbian capital of the UK' "They would make their way along the platform, loudly knocking on all the carriage windows crying out 'Gingerbread! Who will buy my freshly baked gingerbread?'," explains Kathryn MacDonald of the Ormskirk and District Family History Society. "There were so many of them and they were such persuasive sellers that Ormskirk's gingerbread women became well known around the region. So when, in 1885, the Prince of Wales alighted here – he was going to a shooting party at nearby Lathom House – there was a welcome reception put on for him at the station and three of the gingerbread women were allowed to present the Prince with a gift of Ormskirk gingerbread. A few years later, when he became king (Edward VII), he'd stop the royal train at Ormskirk on his way up to Balmoral, and stock up with supplies for himself and the royal family. So, he obviously must have really liked our gingerbread!" The white-aproned women no longer ply their wares at the station, but one baker of Ormskirk gingerbread can still be found today in the town. Mr Thompson's Bakery is a family business run by Neil Thompson, his wife Janet and daughter Lilli who bake the treats in a converted shed in their back garden. "Back in 2010, we revived an ancient Ormskirk gingerbread recipe but made some tweaks, such as using less salt, to suit modern tastes," says Lilli, who mans their stall each week at Ormskirk's famous food market. The Thompsons' bakery, which has appeared in an episode of BBC TV's The Hairy Bikers Go West, is also carrying on the town's tradition of reeling in royalty with its legendary gingerbread. Janet reveals how she and Lilli were given the honour, when Princess Anne visited Ormskirk in 2022 to open a new facility at Edge Hill University, of including some of their gingerbread in a welcome hamper. "Has she come back since to stock up with supplies, like her great-grandfather Edward VII did?" I ask. "Not as far I know," she laughs, "but I'd like to think there's a secret stash of Ormskirk gingerbread somewhere in one of the larders of Buckingham Palace!" Each year the town hosts Ormskirk Gingerbread Festival which, this year, is scheduled to take place on 13 July. The family-friendly event allows locals and visitors to learn more about the town's culinary heritage, and some women dress up in white shawls and aprons to honour Ormskirk's most famous gingerbread hawkers. It's also an opportunity to celebrate this unassuming pocket of Lancashire that has quietly become a food lover's destination in its own right – no small achievement in a country where most culinary trends tend to point south. Whether you come for the royal gingerbread, the six Michelin stars or the rich farming roots that nourish it all, Ormskirk delivers the goods… and they're anything but half-baked. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
15-02-2025
- BBC News
Michelin star hotspot outside of London 'not many people know about'
About 8,000 people live in Aughton yet the Lancashire village hosts not one, but three restaurants with Michelin stars – more than big city neighbours Liverpool and Manchester latest awards were announced at a glittering ceremony this week, with Aughton's Moor Hall ascending to the catering version of Everest when it attained the prestigious three-star described the restaurant, housed in a 16th Century aristocratic property since 2017, as a "delightful gastronomic getaway" where "every dish is now simply brilliant, with consistent levels of precision, balance and purity of flavour".Chef Mark Birchall, who was born in the Lancashire town of Chorley, says it's "always great to have a [Michelin-starred] restaurant in the county I'm from". Except he doesn't have one acclaimed restaurant, he has next door is The Barn, which opened as the "more informal sister" some months after Moor Hall, and secured one Michelin star in 2022 for its "modern and imaginative" cooking."We start on our doorstep and work our way out to some amazing producers," Birchall says. Moor Hall also has a Michelin green star - a rating introduced in 2021 to recognise exemplary standards in sustainable is often dubbed the "salad bowl of England" and Birchall says there are "amazing tomato grocers literally around the corner"."We're so lucky - it's an amazing county, it's got beautiful surroundings, the produce that is grown here is fantastic."But while the location is surrounded by farms he says they will also source food from other counties and countries if necessary as the restaurant's priority is "the food, it's solely about that"."We go as far as we need to go to get the best we can afford to put on the menu." Amid his Valentine's Day bookings, Tim Allen - who bagged a Michelin star in 2023 for his restaurant Sō-lō in Town Green, Aughton - says Birchall's success has "put the place on the map".He consulted the chef before opening his venture in 2021, adding: "Moor Hall has always been world-class - we're very lucky, it's brought much focus and Mark's three-star success is just amplifying that."Allen says his team take advantage of being in what he calls the "larder of Lancashire", using local produce from strawberries to brassicas."If we're buying something local, it has to be quality... the name of the game is consistency."Despite sharing Birchall's focus on ingredients and a relentless push for excellence, he adds that Sō-lō offers "something different... otherwise it would be boring if we're all doing the same things"."We need our local regulars – of which we have a lot - and we need to develop as a destination." Manchester-based restaurant critic Thom Hetherington told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The interesting thing for somewhere like Aughton and Lancashire generally, is that restaurants don't work as well when they're out on their own."They work better when they are a cluster because then, instead of just feeding people locally, which is important, you start pulling in visitors."Aughton has three Michelin-starred restaurants so that is going to be pulling people from all over. So that's more money, more spend going into the local economy, more jobs that's supporting local suppliers."Despite the cost-of-living crisis, he says "the upper end of the restaurant scene is stronger than ever"."One of the most valuable things that restaurants do, is bring in that outside spend into an area - it's almost like inward investment." The three Michelin-starred restaurants are within a three-minute drive but, on hearing that the village had more than many northern cities combined, local butcher James Henshaw admits: "Bloomin' heck, I didn't know that myself."If I am brutally honest, many people don't know about it."Vikki Harris, from the Marketing Lancashire body, says they're "delighted" by Moor Hall's recent inclusion in the prestigious three-star nine other restaurants in the UK have reached that pinnacle, including six in London, two in the royal borough of Windsor and one in Cumbria."We're sure that the news of an additional star for Aughton - bringing its total to five - will be very welcomed," Ms Harris says, "and we'll see yet more people putting the village on their must-visit list." Mr Henshaw, who lives a 10-minute drive away, says he "jumped at the opportunity" to open his butcher's shop in the area at the age of 23, adding: "It looked like a nice, busy area - I thought it would do really well. I know of other shops in this area that do really, really well."I think it helps being in a village where everyone seems very, very passionate about food. We also see plenty of incomers, who again love the food."He says his business is "still growing and expanding and, more importantly, we're still getting busier".Daniel Vernon, who works for the wine bar Arthur's of Aughton, says the area is "a bit of a cultural hotspot" and that the Michelin-starred restaurants have a "positive after-effect" for its "discerning" community."You've got people choosing to live here from Liverpool but also residents from way back with cultural ties that are deep."Emma and Mark McClean moved to the area five years ago and Mr McClean reckons the place has "a Formby vibe about it", referring to the beach town which has often accommodated Premier League stars, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp."It's not as big. I think it's a better place to live."Mrs McClean adds: "I suppose we're quite lucky - to have three Michelin restaurants on our doorstep." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11-02-2025
- BBC News
Moor Hall: Getting third Michelin star incredible, chef says
The chef in charge of a restaurant which has become one of only a handful in the UK to hold three Michelin stars has said the achievement feels "incredible".Moor Hall, in the village of Aughton near Ormskirk, opened in 2017 and received its first two stars in the two following a third star in the Michelin Guide, its inspectors said every dish from chef Mark Birchall was "simply brilliant" and it was now one of the best dining experiences in the said it was something of a dream come true to get what is the guide's highest accolade. The Michelin Guide's existence dates back to 1889, when the brothers behind the brand launched a travel guide in the form of a little red book to encourage transportation - and therefore boost tyre sales - in has since expanded to other cities around the world and has become a living guide - restaurants can earn - and lose - awards restaurants either one, two or three stars, with the highest award being given to a select few which its inspectors deem to be delivering "exceptional cuisine" and so be "worth a special journey". Making Moor Hall the only new three-star restaurant in the UK and Ireland in 2025, the guide said it did not "award three stars lightly". "It is a distinction that often takes years to achieve, as chefs continue to hone their craft to greater levels of excellence," it said."Moor Hall, the delightful gastronomic getaway in rural Lancashire, has now reached those levels."They said the level of culinary craft was "outstanding" and the food was "as satisfying as it is impressive"."Led by Chef Mark Birchall, the entire team at Moor Hall are a credit to their profession [and] create a dining experience that can now officially be counted as one of the best in the world," they added. The chef said becoming the 10th restaurant to currently hold the honour in the UK and Ireland, only two of which are sited outside London and Bray in Berkshire, was a special moment."I think you kind of dream about these things," he said."You kind of almost act it out in your mind of how you would be, but the emotion is incredible."He added that he believed the secret to Moor Hall's success was having a good team and making all its guests "feel so special". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
