As we start a New Year it's a good time to consider the trends for the year ahead. With new fads hitting the headlines, one area that's not been talked about recently is the world of fine dining. Over recent years the restaurant scene has celebrated a more casual approach to eating out
Is fine dining making a comeback?
Posted by Lockhart Catering
on 14 January 2019
Read our interview with Simon Rogan
We see fads come and go in the world of food but whilst it may not have been trendy over recent years, most of the UK's top chefs are proud to serve only 'haute cuisine' as they strive for absolute perfection with everything they make. Even when opening Core in 2017, Clare Smyth told Big Hospitality how she wanted to "see people enthusiastic about fine dining again and celebrate it for what it is."
As the hospitality industry faces an uncertain few months with so much confusion over Brexit, it can be difficult to plan ahead or consider potentials trends. However, discussion amongst some of the biggest names in the industry suggests there is definite movement towards celebrating classical cooking and simplicity. No gimmicks, no new food fads, just good honest cooking using the best ingredients and chef skills. Chef competitions such as National Chef of the Year, Bocuse d'Or and the Roux Scholarship put a huge emphasis on showcasing the talent that is required to produce only the finest food.
At Lockhart we believe dining out should be an experience to remember which is why we are so proud to help and support fine dining restaurants up and down the UK. There are many new restaurants creating the wow-factor and today we're putting the spotlight on a few of these.
Take a look at Simon Rogan. He's spent the last few years building up a brand of restaurants, rooms, farms and even a local shop. Simon is an inspiring chef who has always focused on producing the finest local ingredients using the stunning Lake District countryside. L'Enclume is probably the most well-known of his restaurants amongst diners. This is a riverside restaurant in the village of Cartmel which is known for innovative dishes and the provenance of ingredients. Since opening it has won two Michelin stars alongside a whole host of other awards. It's also been given the best restaurant award by the Good Food Guide for four consecutive years. Simon was recently revealed as the new Bocuse d'Or UK President taking over the role from Brian Turner CBE. It's known as the most rigorous culinary competition in the world with just 24 countries being selected to compete over the two-day event.
Our digital marketing manager, Simon Britten recently caught up with Simon Rogan and got his thoughts on trends for 2019. He told us how he hopes that this year we'll see the trend for take-outs reversed with people realising that restaurant dining is an experience that truly nurtures the soul and offers all the things that you just can't experience at home.
Another fine dining chef we love to follow is Ruth Hansom. It was so inspiring hearing her vision for good food on the BBC TV show, Million Pound Menu. Last summer she joined Luton Hoo's fine dining restaurant, Wernher. This is an 80-cover two-AA Rosette British Restaurant where Ruth focuses on British produce, something she has passionately talked about on the speaking circuit after winning the title of Young National Chef of the Year. We love following Ruth's story on Instagram where she regularly shares updates from behind the scenes and champions local suppliers. This helps diners to understand the work that goes on when creating fine dining dishes and the importance of high-quality ingredients.
Programmes like Million Pound Menu and MasterChef UK: The Professionals are effective ways of engaging British diners in the culinary world and showcase the true talent we have in the fine dining scene.
Tom Phillips is the UK candidate for the Bocuse d'Or competition and sous chef at Restaurant Story. He is the youngest British competitor to take part and secured tenth place in the European heat of the competition, supported by his commis Nathan Lane. At the end of last year we asked his thoughts on 2019 trends too. He told us
"Classic! Classical Cuisine. That's what excites me as a chef; and I think fine dining is coming back. These trends are usually cyclical; a few restaurants will put out a theme, then it will catch on and disappear. Then other restaurants will return to the trend like it's never been done before, a few years later, making it cool again. But for me, it's about celebrating good tasty food. I also think simplicity is a trend that's in right now…but will continue to strengthen & go forward in 2019."
We would love to know your thoughts on fine dining and whether you see it becoming one of the big trends for 2019. Let us know via our social media channels @BunzlLockhart. Next week we'll be continuing our insight into the world of fine dining as we explore the Sirha trade show and Bocuse d'Or competition which take place later this month.
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