FOOD + DRINK
MEET THE CHEF :
STUART GILLIES
Chef Owner , Bank House Wine Bar and Kitchen , Chislehurst
© Ashleigh Britten
What led you to becoming a chef ?
I followed my brother ’ s footsteps into the kitchen at age 17 , during a time when being a chef was very unglamorous , low wages and long hours … Plus a lot of terrible food in most places !
Where did you train ?
I signed up for a three year day release apprenticeship scheme with City and Guilds , working at a local hotel for two years which was a good start , before moving to the Royal Garden Hotel , London to finish my apprenticeship .
Where have you worked before Bank House ?
After my apprenticeship concluded I moved to Stockholm and spent three years learning from Austrian , Swiss and Swedish cooks who were developing a lighter style of fine dining cooking , focused on cleaner , more healthy style of eating in the Swedish capital . From here , a year at the Lord Byron Hotel , Rome , Italy was a fantastic immersion into taste sensations and pure quality at a 2 * Michelin level .
Returning to England took me to Gravetye Manor for two years and then onto Le Caprice , London for three years . At this point I was looking for a finishing school to really develop my skills further and managed to secure a place at the eponymous restaurant ‘ Daniel ’ in New York , USA for two years , which was one of the world ’ s top three industry voted restaurants in the ‘ 90 ’ s .
Returning to a position at Aubergine , London with Gordon Ramsey was the start of a 10-year tenure in executive head chef and restaurant director roles across the group , creating and executing concepts across London and internationally .
Why Bank House Restaurant and why Kent ?
We live locally in Kent and when my wife and I set up our company to create , execute and own our own hospitality operations we looked locally first as we felt there was an opportunity to grow something new and exciting which did not currently exist .
What is Bank House ’ s concept
Bank House ‘ Wine Bar and Kitchen ’ is just what it says on the outside , it ’ s a luxury wine bar serving great handmade cocktails and small plates of European style food ; using artisan produce and locally sourced ingredients as much as possible .
We have a talented team of professionals working together to fully enjoy the daily life in hospitality , being proud of what they are part of as a team . They have a great connection with the guests and everyone is local so there is a real sense of community but with an amazing product and atmosphere .
How are you dealing with the staff shortages in the industry currently ?
That ' s a really hard one to answer well , as it ' s an issue for every business in the land . However , we have from day one created an inclusive culture of one team together at Bank House , while continually developing the team to feel like they are valued and contribute to the product and experience . This is the same for our younger staff ( including local teenagers who for many this is their first job ), parttimers and experienced people – we love what we do and we share that passion with people new to the industry
Tell us about the dishes and menu you have created
The menu I create in conjunction with my head chef Bobby Brown and the sous chefs , everyone contributes to the final product which makes us all feel personally involved and creative … It ' s a lovely way to create a balanced seasonal menu which we adapt regularly based on produce available .
It ’ s the same way I create the bar menu and wine list with our bar manager . It is very taste and product focused to match the whole experience .
What is your signature / favourite dish ?
I don ’ t have one favourite dish as it depends on the season and occasion . However , currently it would have to be the English asparagus with local wild garlic mayonnaise – it ’ s only around for a short time then gone for a whole year !
What is your guilty pleasure ?
My guilty pleasure would be toasted marshmallows with chocolate digestives over our firepit at home . Our kids are addicted but there are just so many calories !!
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