Let us introduce you to the world’s most exciting hotel chefs as we guide you through the gourmet getaway spots we’re hungering for…
WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN?
Dynamic duo Luke Holder and Angela Hartnett, who co-run Lime Wood hotel’s Hartnett Holder & Co (HH&Co) restaurant. Together, they have decades of experience at the world’s most lauded restaurants and have earned enough Michelin stars to light up a constellation. Hartnett is also known for her award-winning podcast Dish and appearances on shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and the Great British Menu; and she’s the proud recipient of an OBE.
WHAT’S COOKING?
They plan their simple, hearty, British-leaning menus around produce sourced from small, independent farmers and makers. Expect dishes such as Cornish plaice in butter sauce or heritage beetroot with goat’s cheese, plus a detour to Med-style eats like gnocchi con parmigiano with pea pesto and preserved lemon, thanks to Hartnett’s Italian heritage.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Holder honed his skills at big-hitters such as Orrery, the Oxo Tower and three-Michelin-starred Enotecha Pinchiorri in Florence, while Hartnett worked with Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing. The latter predicted she wouldn’t last a week, but she’s still going strong, with Murano London, three branches of Cafe Murano and Cucina Angelina at Portetta (Lime Wood’s sister stay in Courchevel) to her name. Both are advocates of making the industry more sustainable and better working conditions, giving staff a three-and-a-half-day work week.
Luke Holder, chef director at Hartnett Holder & Co
Tell us why you decided to become a chef while on a bus journey in Asia.
[I was] travelling to India with friends at the end of a 10-month trip. Travelling changed my life, and I couldn’t go back to working on a tomato farm in the UK. I’d always [been interested in] food — I was raised in the Middle East and loved cooking [there] — so I decided to move to London and learn to cook. It was as simple as that.
What’s the most elaborate adventure you’ve undertaken in search of a meal?
Angela and I went to New York with our partners for my 40th birthday, where we ate 98 dishes in four days! I also searched for momos (dumplings) and yak’s milk tea in Tibet, where I traded a pocket knife for a short sword, and played stickball with tribal warriors in a roller-disco — they were amazing dumplings.
What challenges came with working at three-Michelin-star restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence?
Annie Féolde — the first female chef in Italy to be awarded three Michelin Stars — gave me the job, even though I didn’t speak Italian. It was all about teamwork and discipline. [Dishes] had to be perfectly made every time. Pre-service set-up, the rhythm of service and positive energy were important too. I became head chef [at the Beijing outpost] the year of the Olympics. I struggled with the language, and it was difficult because I was an Englishman living in Thailand trying to cook Italian food, but I’m forever grateful to the team — they taught me humility and to always use the finest ingredients no matter how simple they are.
Which cooking tips did you pick up from molecular gastronomy expert Stephane Buchholzer while working with him at Tang restaurant in the UAE?
At that time technique was everything, from sous-vides to chemicals that changed textures and flavours, and visual [trickery] to add drama to dining. Spherification felt cutting-edge, as did frozen foam. I still cook meat long and slow — it really makes a difference — but I don’t use a sous-vide now, and I prefer a purer form of cooking.
You’ve worked all over London, and in Italy, China and Thailand. How do diners’ expectations differ between countries?
Expectations have changed a lot. A Michelin-star restaurant in London needs [a strong] identity to stay competitive. It’s fast, furious and high-energy — I loved it. Expectations are high because if you don’t deliver, clients will take their money elsewhere. The Sloane Club had a different pace, with more old-school theatre in the restaurant.
In Koh Samui guests wanted a relaxed feel, and the menu reflected Thai culture. I had a fully Thai team, who needed a different management style — Enoteca hired me because I understood how to manage a team with a different culture. [I taught] them different ways to cook and ensured menus met Western guests’ expectations. Thailand still holds a special place in my heart.
At Lime Wood, we tried being a Michelin-star restaurant, but it didn’t bring business in. Guests saw it as a special-occasion restaurant; but when Angela joined she gave credibility to simplicity. We focused on lunch, becoming somewhere anyone can pop into for pasta and a glass of wine, without spending hours on a tasting menu. I believe we’ve done that well.
What have you learnt from Lime Wood owner (and founder of the Pig hotels) Robin Hutson?
Robin taught me to see what we do from a guest’s point of view. Chefs can be blindsided by self-importance and forget what guests want. He identifies little details — say, if the vegetarian menu is on A5 paper, and your main menu on A3, how does that make vegetarians feel? Hospitality is a feeling, not a service.
What would you cook for Angela if she was coming for dinner?
Baked turbot with Salcombe crab and Borlotti beans, plus a great glass of chilled white wine.
Angela Hartnett, chef director at Hartnett Holder & Co, Cucina Angela, Murano London and Cafe Murano
What did you learn from working under Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing?
Consistency — to ensure each dish is as good for the last customer as it is for the first.
How do you think the restaurant industry could be improved for female chefs?
Better government support with childcare and flexible work rotas would help everyone.
What do you think makes for good hospitality?
Understand guests’ needs from the moment they walk in. Some may want a light dish; others may want a five-course sharing menu, so we need to adapt. What a guest orders for a lengthy Tuesday lunch is very different from one who’s arrived late after Friday-night traffic.
When you’re a judge on competitive cooking shows (such as Best Home Cook), what are you looking for in a winner?
[I expect] delicious well-cooked food — no smoke and mirrors for Best Home Cook; the clue is in the title!
What would you cook for Luke if he was coming to dinner?
When he last came for lunch, I made red-mullet linguine with toasted-almond pangrattato (italian-style breadcrumbs). If I was taking him out for a meal, it would be Thai.
LUKE AND ANGELA
What do you want guests to take away from their experience at Lime Wood?
Luke Holder We prefer a relaxed style of cooking, where provenance and [communality] is everything. We want the space to feel more ‘fun’ than fine dining.
Angela Hartnett To have great service and simple, seasonal, delicious food in a beautiful relaxed environment.
How did you both meet, and what led to you collaborating at Lime Wood?
AH Robin Hutson decided the restaurant needed a change, and a friend recommended me. Luke and I hadn’t met, but we had lunch together in London, where he realised how chaotic I was — he was an hour early and I was very late. But we realised we both appreciated simple dishes and we’ve formed a lovely friendship.
LH We’ve learnt so much from each other over the past decade. Mostly that collaboration is more than just food; it’s ambience, culture, atmosphere…the whole approach.
How do you ensure you keep the kitchen team at Hartnett Holder & Co happy?
AH Having been [in ‘shouty’ environments] before, we said, ‘Let’s not do that’. I think Luke is one of the best managers in that respect; we have members of our team who’ve been here for 10 years. Luke’s a father figure to them.
LH We pride ourselves on the ‘Co’ part of HH&Co. People assume it’s one of us [behind it], but it’s very collaborative, and we shout about our brilliant team whenever we can. It’s why so many staff have been with us since the get-go.
What’s the best feedback you’ve had from a customer?
AH A customer showed me that they’d mopped their plate clean. In Italy it’s called fare la scarpetta, or to wipe your plate clean with bread.
LH Recently a young boy with a terminal illness visited, and we invited him to make fresh pasta with us — his mother’s response after his passing moves me to this day.
What are your approaches when creating dishes for the menu?
AH We move with the times, ensuring the menu and setting feel current. We’ve kept favourites, such as the polenta ravioli, but add new dishes inspired by the season.
LH Menus are led by the best local and seasonal ingredients. We work with amazing producers, including no-dig community project Four Acre Farm — I love their long-lost fruits and vegetables, and we don’t shy away from putting hero ingredients in several dishes.
What’s your favourite season for ingredients?
LH Spring, for New Forest asparagus.
AH Spring. It’s tough to choose, but I love root veg, peas and broad beans. Truffle-hunting season, too; I go on at least one trip a year.
Which of your travels has influenced your cookery the most?
LH Growing up in the Middle East and Italy, where eating is more family-oriented and people share dishes, influenced the way I want diners to feel.
AH Italy’s [inspired me the most]. In Bardi village, which we used to visit often, restaurants had a similar menu, so I’d order my favourite every time: agnolini and a lovely light chicken broth.
How can the restaurant industry work more sustainably? And what does the future of ethical eating look like?
Both We’ve long tried to change for the better and will evolve with whatever the future throws at us. We both believe people will eat less meat in future, and the focus will be on quality over quantity when it comes to produce and ingredients.
With the cost of living crisis, how do you think fine dining will evolve?
LH People want honest, good value meals. That doesn’t mean cheap — people are happy to pay for quality food executed correctly.
AH I think there will be fine dining, but that phrase is wrong. People consider Murano fine dining because it’s Michelin-starred, but the food is simple, delicious and fun. [Fine dining doesn’t have to be expensive.]
In your downtime, where do you like to relax at Lime Wood?
LH Neither of us really have downtime at Lime Wood — you’ll find me at a kitchen table tasting, planning and, most likely, chatting.
AH Luke and I often take a walk in the forest, which is beautiful, to catch up.
ANSWERS À LA MINUTE
You can hop to three eateries in three different countries for breakfast, lunch and dinner – where are you going?
LH For breakfast, chicken and waffles at Sweet Chick in Brooklyn; for lunch, chicken and rice from a stall outside Bophut on Koh Samui, which has the best tamarind dressing ever; and for dinner I’d go to Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in Cornwall.
AH I’d go to New York for breakfast, Italy for lunch and Japan for dinner.
If you could make plane food more exciting, how would you go about that?
LH Slow-cooked food would work. You need comfort food in transit — when I rode the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow to Beijing, the Chinese food on board was awesome.
AH I’d love to do that. Less is more, therefore better, so I’d do baked pasta, stews and raw-vegetable salads rather than veg cooked to within an inch of its life.
You’ve snuck some minis onto the plane – what cocktail are you making?
Both A Negroni!
Room service – what are you ordering?
LH A chip butty.
AH Macaroni and cheese with crispy breadcrumbs.
Which dish instantly transports you home?
LH Chicken Kiev.
AH A bowl of pasta.
Which dish from your travels do you wish you’d created?
LH The dressing I mentioned from the chicken and rice shop in Bophut.
AH Deep-fried rice with sea urchin from Jean-Georges, New York.
What’s your guilty-pleasure holiday treat?
LH A club sandwich — it’s a love-hate relationship
AH Spa treatments.
What’s your favourite dish on Hartnett Holder & Co’s menu?
LH Lobster linguini.
AH All of it except the desserts — I don’t do sweets.
TIME TO SERVE
Learn how to make a dish that’s much loved at Lime Wood…
Guinea fowl agnolotti
For the pasta
– 200g pasta flour
– 9 egg yolks
– 10ml olive oil
For the guinea fowl and fonduta
– 2 guinea fowl legs
– 100g lardo di colonnata
– 1 onion
– 60g parmesan
– Half a bunch of sage, chopped
– 1 egg yolk
– 500ml chicken stock (or water)
– 100ml olive oil
– 5g chopped garlic
– 100ml of double cream
– Pinch of salt
To cook the pasta
Whisk the olive oil and egg yolks together; add the flour and knead until the dough has an even consistency. Wrap in cling film and allow to rest for half an hour.
To cook the guinea fowl
Place the guinea fowl legs into a pan with the olive oil and cook until they’re coloured well on all sides. Sweat off the lardo with the onions to release the fat; add a pinch of salt then the chicken stock (or water) and cook with a paper cartouche on top to keep the mixture from evaporating too much.
Once the guinea fowl is cooked, take off the heat. Put everything, including the garlic, in a blender with the fresh chopped sage, parmesan and egg yolk, seasoning with salt and pepper; add the rest of the sage, then blitz again. Allow to cool and place in a piping bag.
To cook the parmesan fonduta
Heat the cream in a pan and reduce by half. Add the parmesan and whisk well, seasoning to taste.
To finish
Roll out the pasta into a rectangular sheet and cut the ends off the piping bag. Pipe the chilled guinea fowl mix in a row of generous blobs along the centre of the rolled-out pasta. Roll one edge of the pasta sheet over the piped blobs, like a sausage roll, and tuck it in as tightly as you possibly can, to remove any air.
Pinch the mix, sealing the pasta at one-inch intervals to form small pillows, cutting any excess pasta off. Then cut between the pinch points to make the agnolotti. Blanch in salted water for two to three minutes until warm, then serve immediately with the parmesan fonduta.
Bon appetit!
Hungry for more? Read more of our star chef interviews, including Paul Leonard and David Taylor