FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH
ASHLEY HARE
THE LAMP ROOM & THE GLASS ROOM, BETTESHANGER COUNTRY PARK
Tell us about your culinary journey so far. Ever since I can remember, I have always had a fascination with cooking and enjoyed watching programmes such as( I am going to show my age now!) Can’ t Cook, Won’ t Cook, Saturday Morning Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook.
At the risk of sounding cliché, I have fond memories of Sunday roast at my nan’ s house. Although she was a‘ traditional’ cook( roasting the meat for far longer than it needed!), I was definitely inspired by her composure in the kitchen when cooking for a large family. Somehow, she always managed to bring it all together with perfect timing while keeping us children occupied and with a huge smile on her face!
I trained at the prestigious East Kent College, known for employing and training successful chefs such as Frank Thompson and Gary Rhodes. I have worked at numerous places during my 20-year cheffing career including Samphire in Whitstable, where I worked under chef Robert Taylor who’ s now chef and owner of the award-winning Tallow in Royal Tunbridge Wells. I owe a lot of my skills and passion for cooking delicious food to the time I spent learning from Rob. My first real head chef job was at The Refectory Kitchen in Canterbury, where I worked happily for 10 years helping to transform the place from a humble sandwich shop to a trendy café, and the top breakfast and lunch destination in Canterbury. By the time I moved on, we had fantastic reviews with queues of people out of the door and up the road waiting to come in and eat. I am very proud of what we achieved there.
What’ s the restaurant concept at Betteshanger Country Park? At Betteshanger Country Park, I am lucky enough to have a fantastic, well-equipped, modern kitchen to work in, as well as an awesome team of talented, hard-working chefs. I am fortunate to be catering for a broad range of clientele, meaning that my job is always exciting with no two days being the same.
The Lamp Room caters for day-to-day visitors to the park with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients, while also being budget friendly. We bake our own cakes, smoke our own salmon and endeavour to use the best quality ingredients we can while still offering a quick and tasty meal for our customers. The Glass Room is a venue space catering for events such as weddings, conferences, celebrations of life, Christmas parties and birthday celebrations. We pride ourselves on working closely with our clients, tailoring our menu to their tastes or themes to ensure they have a bespoke experience. We offer anything from three-course sit down meals to street-food inspired buffets and feasting menus.
I also oversee the Pit Burger food trailer, which we use for large events in the park, and which is available to hire for private events and shows, too. Our burger menu includes the smash burger, Bombay bhaji burger, the halloumi burger and a 12-hour slow-cooked pulled pork burger, all served with loaded fries and local craft beers.
What is your signature / favourite dish? Oak-smoked short rib of beef, roast beef fat potatoes, chimichurri and kohlrabi slaw with a stout and maple jus.
Tell us about the recipe we’ re showcasing? The oak-smoked short rib has been on the sit-down menu for The Glass Room since we opened in 2022. After receiving fantastic reviews, it’ s become a bit of a favourite for the clients and for the kitchen team to cook. Although the finished dish looks simple on the plate, several cooking techniques and a lot of care and attention go into the making of it. I would say it reflects what I believe is my style of cooking- understated with bold flavours and plenty of attention to detail.
What ingredient could you not live without? I would have to say lemon or wine vinegar. Often, an acidic element is a key component in the balance of a dish – be it savoury or dessert. My wife tells me off for adding vinegar to everything I cook at home!
Which chef, past or present, would you love to work in the kitchen with? Anthony Bourdain. His passion for food was contagious.
Aside from your own restaurant, where’ s your go-to place to dine in Kent? Although it’ s more of a canteen, I love Kokoro in Canterbury. I can’ t get enough of the delicious sushi! I am also looking forward to going to The Blue Pigeons in Worth to try the new menu under their new head chef. I have heard good things!
What is your guilty pleasure? Pizza. It is just the best food ever created, isn’ t it?
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