FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH
SEAMIE MCDONAGH
SQUERRYES WINERY RESTAURANT , WESTERHAM
What led you to becoming a chef ? My love for cooking started at an early age . I was always in the kitchen helping my grandmother bake her brown soda bread or getting in the way ! I remember watching a kids ’ cooking show when I was about nine and they made a quiche which enraptured me so much that I took down the recipe . I decided I was going to give it a go , so I made it and it came out edible - much to my surprise ! I was so proud of myself and the feeling of enjoying the finished product that it made me decide there and then that I wanted to become a chef .
Where did you train ? I started at age 15 in a local pub called The Ferry Inn back home in Portumna , County Galway . The head chef , Rory , taught me all the basics and I then went on to train at the Culinary School at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology .
Where have you worked before ? I spent some time in London before travelling to Australia for a working holiday . I was mainly based in Brisbane during my time there and worked in some great establishments while travelling around the East Coast . I then returned to Ireland where I worked as a pastry chef in The Twelve Hotel in Barna , just outside Galway , working under Martin O ’ Donnell . I learned a lot working there as it had multiple restaurants including a two AA Rosette finedining restaurant , a one Rosette gastropub and a pizzeria , all of which were very popular and busy . I then moved back to Maidstone to work with my best friend Marshall Poulton as his sous chef at Frédéric ’ s Bistro before taking over as head chef when he left for a new opportunity .
Why Kent and Squerryes Winery Restaurant ? Initially , I moved back to Kent to help out my best friend but ended up taking on the head chef position at Frédérics . Here , I met my girlfriend and we have been happily together for five years now . I also fell in love with Kent as its rolling green fields remind me of home .
When the position at Squerryes became available , I just knew it was perfect for me . I loved the idea of being based in the countryside as I am a country and farmer ’ s boy at heart . Having so much fresh and wild produce readily available to use from the Squerryes 2,500-acre estate is any chef ’ s dream come true ! We use all our own meat , which is farmed or wild shot on the estate , and it ’ s all butchered in-house . We use every cut of meat across all our menus , from our weekday set menus to our everpopular Sunday roasts and our à la carte and tasting menus . There ’ s also produce foraged from the woodlands and fields . At this time of year , we ’ re looking forward to the first pick of wild garlic and young nettles .
A big drive and focus for us here at Squerryes is to be as fully sustainable as we possibly can . I ’ m aiming to cut down our food miles as much as possible with the help of our wonderful handpicked local producers from within a 30-mile radius .
Of course being a working vineyard , wine plays just as an important part in our hospitality . Our vintage sparkling wines pair really well with the dishes we cook , from our clean , crisp Blancs de Blanc with Kent coastal fish and seafood to our Squerryes Rosé with our smoked beef tacos topped with wild garlic kimchi ( made in-house ), or rich dark chocolate dessert , ideally enjoyed on the terrace at Squerryes in the summer . I ’ m looking forward to introducing our new small-plates dining concept this summer from our new tasting bar , which will include dishes such as hoisin-glazed estate venison sausages , Carlingford oysters , crispy cod cheeks and lots of other delicious foods that pair perfectly with our award-winning wines . We ’ ve also just been awarded our second AA Rosette , which we ’ re immensely proud of .
Tell us about the dishes and menu you have created at Squerryes Winery Restaurant ? All of our dishes are created seasonally here at Squerryes . Being in the heart of The Garden of England , we are so lucky to be in the hub of British-grown produce . I try to champion these vegetable , fruit and small local food producers as much as I possibly can . In these tough times , the best thing people can do is support local farmers and food producers . I try to design dishes on our menu that show you can make anything taste absolutely delicious . A lot of style is based around comfort and a modern play on classics . The Warde family , who own the Squerryes Estate , live by the motto ‘ licet esse beatis ’, which is Latin for ‘ it is permitted to be joyful ’. At Squerryes , we are in the business of creating joy and that ’ s what I hope our food also gives diners .
What is your signature / favourite dish ? My favourite dish would have to be the lamb . It ’ s a barbecued cannon of lamb with lamb-braised pearl barley and local rainbow chard served with a lamb hotpot on the side . It ’ s got elements of refined cooking on the plate , but is served with a generous helping of comfort and nostalgia . The lamb comes from Home Farm on the Squerryes Estate and is truly delicious .
What is your guilty pleasure ? Despite spending all day cooking complex dishes with plenty of flavour , when I ’ m not working my guilty pleasure is curry cheese chips . It ’ s a delicacy in the chippers back home in Ireland ! It has to be made with McDonnells ’ curry sauce and Red Leicester cheese though , and it pairs beautifully with a pint of Guinness !
Squerryes Winery Restaurant Beggars Lane Westerham Kent TN16 1QP
01959 562345 celebrations @ squerryes . co . uk www . squerryes . co . uk / restaurant chef _ seamie www . insidekent . co . uk • 101