FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH
MARCUS CLAYTON
HEAD CHEF, ST. LEONARD’ S, WEST MALLING
© Key & Quill
© Key & Quill
Tell us about your culinary journey so far.
I started at the age of 14 washing up in a local pub; I really enjoyed the work and the environment and never left! From there, I went to Hastings Catering College and achieved Level 2 and 3 in both pastry and larder, but it was after I did a ski season in France that I decided I really wanted to concentrate on cooking and went to work in some great restaurants including Thackeray’ s in Tunbridge Wells and The Small Holding in Kilndown. With the one-acre farm there, I discovered my love of produce, provenance and cooking with the seasons. Working with Allister Barsby at the Michelin-starred hide and fox was a very proud time for me and my cooking career- it was where I was working when I won the San Pellegrino Best Young Chef of the Year for my vegetable dish: celeriac, apple and mushroom.
What’ s the culinary concept at St. Leonard’ s?
Our menus showcase seasonal ingredients and champion bold British and European flavours, which we make using the excellent local produce we’ re lucky enough to have right on our doorstep. Our dishes are always underpinned by the provenance and quality of the ingredients we work with every day.
What is your signature / favourite dish?
It would have to be the salt-baked celeriac with apple, celery and a mushroom jus, which was my winning dish for the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year- a career highlight for me so far.
Tell us about the recipe we’ re showcasing.
I’ m choosing to showcase our house-made ricotta because it celebrates a few of our local producers including Hinxton Dairy and Mereworth Castle Gardens. We change the garnish and flavours to fit the season and there is a little extra recipe to show how to utilise a waste product from the dish too, which is very important for us. Plus, making cheese is a fun thing to do and fairly easy to do at home. We have served the ricotta with preserved pickled plums from Mereworth, a spicy winter leaf mix, sweet and sour plum sauce and a black garlic puree with golden linseed crackers to scoop.
What ingredient could you not live without?
Butter or salt.
What’ s your favourite Kentish ingredient, product or producer?
Mereworth Castle Gardens. The head gardener Paul is passionate about growing different varieties, which are sometimes new to me- I really enjoy his passion and equally enjoy showcasing his produce on the menu. Last year, he grew several different varieties of melon and I’ m really looking forward to them coming back into season alongside his jostaberries and wine berries. He also grows an outstanding celeriac, which is my favourite vegetable.
Which present chef would you love to work in the kitchen with?
Adam Byatt. I love, love, love his refined classic cookery! If I could go back in time, I would have loved to have trained at his restaurant, Trinity, followed by Restaurant Sat Bains as they are both heavyweights of the industry.
Where’ s your go-to place to dine in Kent?
The Radnor Arms in Folkestone has a really nice drinks menu, a good food offering and great service.
What’ s your guilty pleasure?
Harbio Supermix. I have a mild to moderate addiction to these delicious sweets. Or cheese on toast.
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