Chef Interview: Craig Sherrington
Craig Sherrington was more than happy to spend some time out of his busy schedule to do this interview. Watching him on Great British Menu, his food looks incredible. You can find him at Virginia House in Cumbria. The restaurant looks very nice and the menu looks incredible, you can even try his Great British Menu courses!
How long have you been cooking?
I have been cooking for 35 years
What made you want to be a chef?
I have always had an interest in cooking, even from a young age, I would go into the kitchen on winter nights when it was to dark to play out and knock up a batch of biscuits from one of my mums cook books, and that interest carried on
Where did you train to cook?
I did my training at Lancaster & Morecambe college. But only learnt to cook when I left college and started my first Job in the real world.
How long have you been cooking professionally?
I have been cooking professionally for 25 years.
How would you describe your cooking style?
My cooking style is made up of all the chefs I have worked for, taking the best bit of each of their styles and making them my own, my cooking style have been offically classify as Modern British.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everywhere, from looking at books to walking down the street, taking my girls foraging in the nearby woods, and shoreline.
What is your favourite ingredient to cook with?
Salt and pepper, so many places you eat under season food so much. Their food would be so much better if they just seasoned it correctly, its not rocket science.
Do you have a signature dish? what is it?
I don’t like having a signature dish as I beleive you can always do better, but my inadvertent signature dish is A local smoked cheese souffle with Tomato jam and Parmesan custard, the customers love it and Im not allowed to take it off the menu.
What would you say is the best restuarant you have eaten at?
Different Places for different reasons.
1. The Great Northern Pie company in Ambleside as it was a wet winters day and really gloomy outside, Being a northern Lad I love a good pie, and this one was the best.
2. Mission Estate Winery in New Zealand
On Honeymoon with my wife this was the best meal we had on our travels around New Zealand
3. The Old Stamphouse in Ambleside Chef Ryan Balckburn a great chef and a great Friend, the only Restuarant that I have choosen to eat at more than once.
What cuisine of food do you prefer to eat?
Just depends how I feel, a quick tea with my family Homemade fish fingers and Chips, Lunch out with my wife on a shopping trip, Thai. Dont actually have a favourite I like to discover new tastes and flavours all the time and will always try something different.
What chef(s) do you admire?
David Everitt-Mathias from Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, and Eric Chavot (The Capital Hotel, Knightsbridge, London). Both chefs I have worked for and have had a great influence on my life and career.
What do you think will be future trends in food?
I think the future of foodnis moving away from Fine Dining and more down the route of Small plate casual dining where the focus is on great food made simpler with less faff and more focus on the key ingredient, and very casual and relaxed service.
If you was not a chef, what would you want to do?
There is nothing else I would want to be, I do what I love amd I love what I do.
Recent Chef Interviews
Hi, my name is Martyn and I consider myself an Amateur Chef. I love everything about food and this was the main reason I started this blog, to showcase that passion. I started this blog in 2014 with an aim to showcase tasty recipes, and useful cooking tips and tricks.