Andrew Pern: ‘I’ve held a Michelin star for 20 years - I’ve mostly hung up my apron with daily restaurant cookery’
Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern has held the prestigious culinary award for 20 years and has now mostly chosen to ‘hang up’ his apron.
Andrew Pern started working as the chef/patron at The Star Inn in June 1996 where he established it as one of the country’s first ‘Gastropubs’.
Mr Pern first earned a Michelin star in 2002; he consistently retained the award for 20 years of his career at the restaurant.
He enjoys cooking decent food at home to spoil his family occasionally.
“While we cook to a very high standard at The Star Inn and have had a Michelin star now for 20 years in total, I’ve mostly hung up my apron with day-to-day restaurant cookery,” Mr Pern said.
“Nowadays I concentrate on outside events and charity dinner parties, so I love to cook decent food at home to spoil ourselves on occasion with prime steaks, local game in season and lovely Whitby landed fish, such as turbot, halibut, monkfish and lobster.
“Conversely with our two younger ones, Fred and Margot, we can go the other way, so chilli, spag bol and fajitas tend to be the order of the day! But, all made using great quality local beef, game and poultry.
“Seasonal soups also seem to have become a favourite at home, whilst sweet treats tend to be conjured up by Margot and Mum.”
Mr Pern shares his favourite places to eat in Yorkshire for Easter on a budget.
“For me, the best place, especially now that spring seems to be just around the corner, is the Coast,” he said.
“I was born in Whitby and always have the feeling of being ‘at home’ there with fish and chips naturally being a favourite!
“The Fish Cottage, just down the road at Sandsend, has brilliant dayboat fish and various twists on all sorts of North Sea fish dishes: tacos, butties, loaded fries - to full blown meals too.
“Then, of course, there’s the stroll on the beach to walk off some of those tasty calories!”
He chooses to go big for Easter with a large family of nine.
“With a large family of nine mouths to feed, we tend to go big,” Mr Pern said.
“So Easter Sunday will be a roast leg of local reared Ryedale lamb studded with garlic and garden rosemary and drizzled with local honey!
“First of the season English asparagus, minted new potatoes with hollandaise, various veggies and probably Yorkshire puddings for the kids (and Dad too).”
Mr Pern shares his tips for a good Easter roast.
“Hopefully, all should go well if you buy good ingredients and a local butcher will be able to give good advice,” he said.
“I’d choose lamb at Easter and get the butcher to prepare a boned and rolled leg with part of the bone attached: it looks fab when studded with slivers of garlic and garden rosemary or even lavender.
“It's a useful ‘handle' to lift /hold onto, when manoeuvring or carving, but don’t forget to let the lamb rest once cooked for 15-20 mins under a cloth or some foil.
"This will keep the juices sealed in and improve the colour of the, hopefully pink, meat! (Plus it means it gives you time for a slurp of something nice like a nice glass of light red).”