Questions For The Chef

We were lucky enough to catch Michael between mealtimes to discover what makes him tick.

How long have you worked as a chef? 15 years

What’s your favourite thing to cook at home? BBQ. I’m in a kitchen so much that it’s nice to cook outdoors.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your menus? A variety of places really, most of the things on the menu are renditions of things that I would have cooked in the past or at home for family and friends. Everything we do here we try and do a little different to what others would be doing,

What’s your number one recommendation from the current menu? Definitely the crispy Caesar salad, or the smoked haddock arancini with curry mayo, it’s a winner

Why did you want to work at The Park? After spending years working in hotels within big businesses, I was keen to work in a slightly smaller team doing what I like to describe as “honest food”. There are no bells and whistles attached to our food, if it does not need to be on the plate or doesn’t contribute to the dish it wont be on the plate. The casual feel of the park was also a big drawcard for me, I’m quite a relaxed individual, I don’t take myself to seriously so the park was a great fit for me.

What makes Cornwall such a special place to live and work? Anybody who has been to Cornwall will know that it is a special place, I first came here in 2002 and instantly loved the place. I have left to work in other parts of the country/world since then but always found myself coming back here. 8 years ago i bought a house down here and I haven’t left since.

Why is it so important to use local, fresh produce? A number of reasons really, the less distance produce needs to travel the fresher it is when it arrives on you doorstep. Supporting the local economy, keeping local people in work. But Cornish produce is generally fantastic, you don’t need to look far to get exceptional quality!

What ingredient could you never live without in your kitchen? Good question… lemons!

Are you more of a sweet or savoury person? Definitely savoury!

Name your favourite dessert? My wife’s lemon and pineapple cake! But on the menu would have to be our white chocolate and passion fruit cheesecake.