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Steve Groves, Head Chef at Roux at Parliament Square showcases his National Chef of the Year winning dish

We had the privilege to be able to interview National Chef of The Year 2020 winner, Steve Groves whilst he was cooking up three dishes in our London Innovation Centre. Steve gave us an insight on life before he became a chef and his experience of taking part and winning National Chef of The Year

View The Tableware Used During The Demo

About The Chef

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you've come to where you are today?

"I grew up in a small town in Essex. After school I wanted to be a fireman, but since I had to wait until I was 18 to apply, I decided to go to catering college at 16 with a few friends. This was the first time I'd really enjoyed anything like that; I didn't enjoy school too much, whereas catering college was hands on and practical, and I loved the camaraderie. "

"After college I went to work in Maryland, in America. That was a tough kitchen environment, but I really enjoyed it. I came back to Bournemouth and Poole a few years later for personal reasons and worked in some great places down there. But I reached a point where I didn't really feel that I was working consistently at a high enough level and felt like I'd almost hit a ceiling with the dining scene down there. When I turned 28, I knew I really needed to move up to London. This transition was difficult at first as I went from being Head Chef at a nice brasserie on the beach to a chef de partie at Launceston Place and it was while I was working here that I entered Masterchef:The Professionals "

How would you describe your cooking style?

"It's based on classical foundations with a modern interpretation. Catering college was my first introduction to classical cooking, where we were taught from a lot of Roux books and learned about French classics. We learned about making lots of different sauces, which you can then do your own derivatives of. Once you know the basics, you can then build on these classics."

What is your favourite traditional British meal to concoct and why?

"My favourite meal of all time is Fish and Chips! Growing up in an Essex coastal town, this was a staple, and Fish and Chips done well is a great dish. In terms of eating at home…comfort food like Cottage Pie is a great go-to dish. I'll quite often try to nod to these classics in the restaurant, like using less popular cuts of lamb to do a cottage pie on the side of the main rack."

@stevegroveschef cooking the roasted chicken wings in a glaze of chicken stock and sausage trimmings at the @bunzllockhart showroom #cheflife #instatakeover

63 Likes, 1 Comments - The Craft Guild of Chefs (@craftguildofchefs) on Instagram: "@stevegroveschef cooking the roasted chicken wings in a glaze of chicken stock and sausage..."

Roux at Parliament Square

You went on to win MasterChef:The Professionals in 2009, did this provide a springboard to where you are now?

"After winning MasterChef I stayed where I was for another year at Launceston Place as I'd worked my way up to Senior Sous Chef. But during MasterChef, of course Michel Roux Jr was a judge and I'd formed a relationship with him, so I moved over to Parliament Square for an opportunity to work as Sous Chef. I moved up to Head Chef after a few years and I've been running the kitchen for the past 7 years."

How would you define the dining experience there?

"It's relaxed but it's got a feeling of luxury. It's warm and cosy with a homely feel and the refurbishment a few years ago allowed us to add this extra element of warmth. We want that warmth to come through in all areas of the experience, from the service itself, to the staff and customer service, and of course the food."

It was at this point that Steve served up his first dish of the day on our exclusive Alto tableware: Morteau Sausage stuffed Chicken Wing, with white onion and truffle sauce.

"Steve said: “The chicken wing was inspired by my Sous Chef's trip to San Francisco. And simply, smoky sausage, truffle and onion are flavours I really enjoy."

The first dish is complete over at the @bunzllockhart takeover with NCOTY 2020 winner @stevegroveschef. Morteau sausage stuffed Chicken Wing, with white onion and truffle sauce #instatakeover #foodstagram #delicious

31 Likes, 2 Comments - The Craft Guild of Chefs (@craftguildofchefs) on Instagram: "The first dish is complete over at the @bunzllockhart takeover with NCOTY 2020 winner..."

What sparks your creativity and ingredient choice on the menu?

"I firmly believe a trusted relationship with the suppliers should allow them to dictate what's good now. Whether it's a certain fish, something they've had dry-ageing, seasonality or just what's popular in the UK markets."

"Our veg suppliers are our eyes and ears in these marketplaces and help to inform our ingredient choice. Ultimately, Chefs can't be experts on everything, so we're happy to use our supplier's knowledge of ingredients and listen to their advice. We try to use UK produce where we can, but quality must come first; if we have an amazing ingredient from France, we will choose this, but the less distance the food has travelled to our plates the better." See our article on the food mile cut here.

What are the best things about working as a part of the team at Roux?

"I'm in quite a fortunate position in that I have the support of the Roux Family and also being part of Restaurant Associates gives us great support and structure to the environment. We've got a great team and we try to promote a good work-life balance. (See our skills shortage article here) It's also been at a time in my life when I've settled down, got married and had children and this restaurant gave me that much needed stability."

Here, Steve served us his second dish on Alto Tableware: Suckling Pig with Jerusalem Artichokes, Trompette Mushrooms, Hazelnuts and Quince Puree

Steve said: "This was borne from the dish I made for the final of National Chef of the Year. As soon as they briefed us on Suckling Pig for the final, my first and most important focus was always on the crackling. Secondly, the accompaniments had to be autumnal to match the season."

@stevegroveschef final dish at the @bunzllockhart #takeover. Suckling pig with Jerusalem Artichokes, Trumpet mushrooms, hazelnuts and quince puree. Absolutely gorgeous. #foodstagram #NCOTY #cheflife

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National Chef of the Year

Moving on to your fantastic win at last year's National Chef of the Year. What do you think made you stand out during the competition?

"I really focused on simplicity and getting the flavours right. We had a day with Hayden Groves and Kuba Winkowski during the competition, as well as a Mentor Day and the message you constantly hear is to focus on the flavour. So that's what I did – and made sure everything I set out to do was completely achievable."

What pushed you to enter NCOTY after so many years in the industry?

"This year I thought it was time to do another competition and I've wanted to do National Chef of the Year for a long time. I always made an excuse not to do it, whether it was work commitments or just a lack of time. It was only when they extended the deadline last April that I applied and really committed to doing the competition. I think my favourite part was the semi-finals, it was a great day, everything fell into place and the judges were a high-quality panel that I loved cooking for. The final was a bit of a blur!"

Here, Steve served us his final dish on Alto Tableware: Banana Souffle with Butterscotch Sauce and Peanut Butter ice cream.

Dessert is out. Look at that shimmering glaze. Caramelised Banana Soufflé with butterscotch sauce and peanut butter ice cream. Masterpiece from NCOTY 2020 winner @stevegroveschef #delicious #NCOTY #chefsofinstagram #foodstagram

27 Likes, 0 Comments - The Craft Guild of Chefs (@craftguildofchefs) on Instagram: "Dessert is out. Look at that shimmering glaze. Caramelised Banana Soufflé with butterscotch sauce..."

On the subject of Judges, do you have an inspiration within the food industry?

"I always look at Thomas Keller to see what he's doing. In London there's some phenomenal Chefs around…Alex at Greenhouse in Mayfair, Clare Smyth at Core, Matt Abe at Royal Hospital Road, Claude Bosi, Sat Bains, I'd also love to visit Le Manoir. I don't get to try them as much as I would like to, the London dining scene is always expanding, and the UK food scene is fantastic as a result."

What did you learn from participating at NCOTY?

"I was more nervous beforehand than doing it! So, I made sure I was prepared completely for every aspect of the final. Once it starts, you don't have time to worry about anything other than getting stuff done. This is why I tried not to concern myself with things that were out of my control and made sure I was ready to adapt to issues that were in my control."

Thank you for your time today Steve! Finally, are there any food trends that you see on the horizon this year?

"I think vegetarianism and veganism is big news. There is now a conscious effort to eat less meat and focus more on quality not quantity. We must now focus a bit more on vegan or vegetarian alternatives, rather than cobbling together vegan options, let's design menus to consider and be prepared for these alternatives. We want to be proud to serve every dish."

Steve Groves has been Head Chef at Roux at Parliament Square for the past 7 years. Find out more about his National Chef of the Year moment, or follow him on Instagram

Alto Pure White Tableware

To see more of what we got up to at Steve Groves Demo check out the Craft Guild of Chefs Instagram highlight of the entire day.

Which of Steves dishes gave you the wow factor? We'd love to hear your thoughts via our social media channels @bunzllockhart on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook.


Comments

Lockhart Catering on 27 January 2020 10:00 AM

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