Press Release, 8th November 2022… They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. What if the same could be said for our favourite staycation spots? Perhaps the best way to discover the best of the Cotswolds, Dorset, Cornwall or Yorkshire is through the dishes you'll find there and the chefs that create them? 

Regional self-catering holiday specialist Hideaways Holidays who's regional offices are all run by experienced and local teams have launched a campaign to discover more about some of the UK's best holiday destinations via the food, locally renowned and awarded eateries and their superbly talented head chefs. 

In a series of interviews the team have spoken with Alex Naik of Shell Bay in Dorset, Gareth Fulford, Chef Patron of Purslane Restaurant in Cheltenham, Scott Williams, Head Chef at the Wig & Pen in Truro, Cornwall and Sam Varley, Head Chef and co-owner of Bantam Restaurant in Yorkshire. The chefs reveal what they love best about their counties, what drew them to or back to these regions, what local dishes they love to cook, where they source the best local or sometimes not-so-local ingredients, what tourists to their counties can expect to find and more. They even provide some top tips for you to make their favourite recipes yourself. 

Alex Naik - Co-Head Chef, Shell Bay Restaurant, Dorset

Alex, Dorset chef of the year 2018, started his chef life in a kitchen in Scotland as a kitchen porter and worked his way up from there. He decided to leave Scotland, to get away from the rain and move to sunny Dorset. “Myself personally, the thing I love about Dorset is I could be in the forest in 20 minutes, I can be in the sea in 20 minutes, I can go anywhere in 20 minutes in Dorset, that's why I Love it,” he says. His work at Shell Bay involves cooking everything over an open fire which has so many benefits including the smell and ambience of the restaurant. We asked him for his top tip, “...manage the fire correctly making sure it's not too hot, it's not too cold, it's just right (said Godilocks),” he said. As the restaurant specialises in fish and fresh, local seafood we also asked for a top tip for cooking fish. “My top tip for cooking fish is very similar to cooking steak and that is to rest your fish - slightly undercooked and let it relax a little bit. It'll be perfect.”

Read more, view the recipe and watch the interview with Alex here: https://www.dorsethideaways.co.uk/whats-on/guide/shell-bay-places-to-eat-in-dorset 

Gareth comes from a family of butchers where, as a child, fish was seen as a rare luxury at the dinner table. Purslane is a small, independent family-run restaurant in the heart of Cheltenham which specialises in the freshest, sustainably-caught seafood from British waters combined with the best local, seasonal produce the Cotswolds has to offer. “The diversity of different seafood species found along the British coastline and the textures and flavours they can bring to a dish is fantastic”, he says. Purslane try, wherever possible to put sustainable species on the menu to help preserve fish stocks for future generations.

Read more, view the recipe and watch the interview with Gareth here: https://www.cotswoldshideaways.co.uk/whats-on/guide/purslane-places-to-eat-in-the-cotswolds 

Sam is a true local, born and raised in Yorkshire. Perfecting his trade all over the world, even as far as Australia before returning to Yorkshire to open his own establishment. When asked what makes a traditional Yorkshire meal he said, “Well traditionally it would be substantial and have gravy! but i think we are lucky to have high quality local ingredients around us so we can now let them speak for themselves…” Bantam serves Delicious, imaginative, food-from-scratch, paired with low-intervention wines served in an informal setting.

Read more and view Sam's recipe here: https://www.yorkshirehideaways.co.uk/whats-on/guide/bantam-places-to-eat-in-yorkshire 

Cornish born and bred and having worked at numerous restaurants across the UK over his career Scott has perfect his style for modern British Cuisine, where he cooks the food that is in season, and then changes his menus accordingly to what's available and sustainable. Scott's aim for The Wig and Pen is to create classic pub food with a modern British, playful twist. “In my opinion, Cornwall is home to some of the best produce in the world,” said Scott. “...and I love having accessibility to such a wide variety of choice. The seafood in Cornwall is incomparable, and there's such a small footprint from the sea to the kitchen.” When asked if Cornish food is just seafood and fish and chips? Scott replied, “Hell, no! We have some of the best butchers in Cornwall – our pork and beef are amazing. Cornish game in Autumn is a personal favourite, particularly venison. There's nothing wrong with fish and chips; it's on our menu at The Wig and Pen, but we use our own ale (Judge's Gavel) on the batter, so it tastes different to anyone else's. We make everything in-house, including all our sauces, so don't expect to find a HP bottle on the table!”

Read more and view Scott's recipe here: https://www.cornwallhideaways.co.uk/whats-on/guide/the-wig-and-pen-places-to-eat-in-cornwall 

Jerusalem Artichoke Four Ways by Sam Varley, Bantam

“I think [this is] one dish in particular I'm looking forward to,” says Sam from Bantam Restaurant. “It's a dish that signifies the end of summer and start of autumn. We prepare the Jerusalem artichoke in a few ways; there's a soubise puree on the bottom, some roast & pickled on top of that and some crisps to finish it off. We serve it with a cured egg yolk, some foraged wood sorrel and some autumn truffle shavings. I think in one dish it encapsulates what we are about; showing off a singular ingredient, some interesting technique, a bit of local foraging and some luxury!”

Wild Sea Bass with Jerusalem Artichoke, Orange and Chicory by Scott Williams, Wig & Pen

“I love the different textures that it creates on the dish. We try to utilise every part of the ingredient – we have very little waste,” says Scott from Wig and Pen. “It's a simple dish but the ingredients are the most important thing. Source Jerusalem artichokes which you can find in any good supermarket. For this recipe you don't even need to prepare them, just make sure you give them a good clean!”

Wild Sea Bass Ceviche with Sweetcorn by Alex Naik, Shell Bay

“One of the freshest things you'll eat at Shell Bay,” says Alex Naik. The Seabass ceviche is one of his favourite dishes to make using line caught, fresh Dorset Seabass and as thinly sliced as possible. “Super easy to make at home but make sure you get hold of some great Dorset gin and make this dish when you are ready to eat it, it will be ready to go quite quickly. Fresh fish is essential.”

Cornish Plaice with Heritage Tomatoes, Seashore Greens and a Prawn Beurre Blanc Sauce by Gareth Fulford, Purslane

“This dish is a bit of a tour of the counties really,” says Gareth from Purslane. “We are making use of the freshest seafood you can find in the trade, caught yesterday and couriered overnight to us alongside freshly picked cotswold veg and our favourite seashore greens, including our namesake. Make sure you take time on this dish, don't rush the fish and source the best ingredients. This dish is all about good ingredients.”

-ENDS-