Steven Doherty
Steven Doherty
Working as the head chef at Le Gavroche in the 1980s cemented Steven Doherty's status as a legendary chef, but after falling in love with Cumbria he kick-started the gastropub scene in the county.
The job of a head chef is tough in any kitchen, but to hold the position at a three-Michelin-starred restaurant for four years is probably one of the hardest things to do in the industry. Steven Doherty managed it, turning him into one of the greatest chefs of his generation, but nowadays he’s better known for his simple, unfussy cooking in the heart of the Lake District, celebrating local produce and classic British dishes.
Steven joined Albert Roux’s iconic Le Gavroche in 1978 as a commis chef, working his way up to becoming Albert’s sous chef in 1982. When the head chef position became available he went for it, and Steven became the first Briton in history to run a three-starred restaurant. He was in charge for four years, maintaining the incredibly high standards needed, until Michel Roux Jr took over from him in 1988.
‘It was hard work, it was driven and you had to deliver every single day at every single service; at that level you can’t allow failure,’ says Steven. ‘I suppose I was a bit disappointed when Michel Roux Jr took over from me and if he hadn’t come back I might still be there to this day, but the move actually opened up all sorts of doors for my career.’
His first opportunity came from Albert, who made Steven group executive chef for all his restaurants and operations. ‘It was an extremely rewarding and interesting part of my career, working with some amazing people and gaining a grounding I’d never get anywhere else,’ he says. ‘I suppose I technically went down a rung in terms of cheffing but went up two or three from a learning perspective. The job was more managerial but I was still always in the kitchen.’ In 1993 he went on to open the Grand Hotel in Amsterdam for Albert and stayed there for two years, until a yearning to do something different took him to the north of England.
‘I saw an advert for The Brown Horse, in Winster, to become a partner in the business, so I went for it,’ explains Steven. ‘At that time the big pub groups were being broken up so there was a lot of interest in the industry. I was there for eighteen months and it was incredibly successful. I suppose The Brown Horse was the first gastropub in the Lake District – prior to that, there wasn’t much going on apart from the usual pub stuff.’ He was soon winning all sorts of awards for his food, which combined high quality with relaxed, country pub surroundings. While these are quite a common sight these days, Steven was one of the first to run a pub in this way.
The second Steven arrived in Cumbria he fell in love with the county, and has remained there ever since. After The Brown Horse he and his wife moved two miles down the road to the now famous Punch Bowl Inn, where they spent then next ten years. During that time the Punchbowl became one of the best country pubs in the UK, known for its incredible food. It wasn’t until 2003 that Steven moved on to begin working with cookware company Lakeland.
‘We were contacted by Lakeland who asked if me and my wife could set up and run their new flagship café at their largest store in Windermere. We were involved in the design and structure of the business, and it’s been very successful over the years.’
Steven’s cooking style has changed drastically over the years, but the ethos behind his food is still the same as when he was at Le Gavroche. Quality, consistency and good service are things he holds in high regard, and while his dishes may have changed, the care and attention that go into them certainly haven’t.
‘Obviously I can’t use the top end ingredients we worked with at Le Gavroche, so throughout my years in Cumbria I’ve always used cheaper cuts and fish,’ he explains. ‘We use Cumbrian produce wherever possible; there’s great pheasant, amazing lamb, venison and we used to use quite a bit of char from Lake Windermere. Lyth Valley damsons are incredible – I introduced Michel Roux Jr to them when he came up here years ago and I think he still uses them to this day in a foie gras dish.’
It’s safe to say that Steven’s working life is now much more relaxed than the years he spent in a three-starred kitchen, but he still misses the rush of cooking at such a high level. ‘I do miss the days at Le Gavroche – working with those incredible ingredients was great, and whenever I do special dinners now I love getting my hands on things like scallops, lobsters and turbot,’ he says. ‘But if you speak to anyone who worked there when I did, they’ll all tell you the pressure was immense. It’s a massive load to carry on your shoulders. The long hours also mean it’s a bit of a young man’s game; like footballers, you struggle to continue performing at that level when you’re older.’
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