Daniel Winstanley, MCGB, executive chef and head of training and development, Lancaster House Hotel
What is your current role and what does it involve?
As well as being a head chef and supporting the development of the Foodworks restaurant team here at Lancaster House Hotel, I am also a member of the Masterchefs of Great Britain and am responsible for the English Lakes Hotels Culinary Academy.
This provides the opportunity for trainees across our hotel group to complete an apprenticeship to attain Level 2 Commis Chef and Level 3 Chef de Partie qualifications, whilst learning the ropes and developing a successful career path. Several of our students have graduated as chefs from Lancaster House Hotel and are still working here.
How long have you been a chef?
It was in the late 1990s that I really started my career and wanted to take the idea of becoming a chef seriously.
My first proper role with responsibility in a commercial kitchen environment was with Haydock Park Racecourse in 1997. It was very much about volume cooking but I loved both the job and the kitchen environment. It was this first real role that taught me to be organised, as quite often with this style of catering, you are working in marquees or temporary kitchen set-ups
This role also provided opportunities at other outdoor venues such as Aintree and Chester racecourses, but also in London working at the Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot and the Paris Air Show. So that first experience led to other things and opened lots of new doors and opportunities for me.
I then worked for Mark Prescott at The Mulberry Tree. Mark taught me so much. His passion for food was incredible. The day-to-day job was high-pressure and very intense, but again I loved it and thrived on the challenges it presented.
As far as I can remember, from about nine years old, I think! I was watching Gary Rhodes on TV and I just knew then that I wanted to be a chef. His style of cooking and spiky hair were both an inspiration. I remember my Mum making me scrambled eggs on toast and I fell in love with it, I would cook it almost daily, always wanting it to be a bit better than the day before. I still love this now and it’s definitely my ‘comfort’ dish.
Where did you learn your craft?
I trained at Wigan & Leigh College and from the first day I knew I had made the right decision. My tutor, Terry, who sadly passed away a few years ago, was a tough cookie. He had very high standards and expectations and it was up to each of us to meet them. He never wavered and I really respected that. I completed my Level 2 and Level 3 chef qualifications along with some extra skills in chocolate, sugar craft and pastillage, not skills which are used that often in a busy restaurant kitchen to be honest!
What was your first job in hospitality?
We all start on the lowest rung of the career ladder and build our experience to climb it. So as you might expect, my first job was washing dishes at the local brewer’s fayre. Without doubt it was what you would call a ‘Marmite’ job! I always wanted to be cooking, but they kept me there exclusively for my washing-up skills. Whether this was a test of my determination and drive to apply myself and stick at it, I’m not sure, but it was certainly character-building and something I look back on with pride for getting through it.
What is your signature dish?
This is always a question chefs get asked and I often have pondered how to answer, as honestly, it’s scrambled eggs on toast! Nothing like it when it’s done well and you can say that about a lot of simple dishes which bring maximum pleasure. For me it’s not a signature dish but a signature ingredient. I love working with fish too and preparing and cooking it perfectly. Taking produce from around the British Isles, I’d say hand-dived Scottish scallops can make for a delicious treat for the palate.
What’s been your worst cooking disaster?
Very early on in my career, I worked in outdoor events catering. We were using a trolley which held about a hundred plated meals. It was usually used for cold starters. Between a colleague and I, we had to move this trolley to a marquee kitchen. I’m sure you have worked out what comes next…… Yes, the trolley hit a bump and 100 cold pate starters got upended all over the outdoor guest area. At that moment, I was imagining what the head chef was going to say, thinking about how I was going to clean this ‘situation’ up and equally ensure the guests got their starters.
For me it’s about making our industry better, developing talent and providing opportunities for all to achieve their goals, do well and provide great tasting food and customer service.
What do you like to eat?
If I am eating out, I will always pick something I wouldn’t make at home, whether that’s because of the ingredients or just knowing how much time it takes preparing it. From English Lakes Hotels Longhorn cattle supplier, we have created a fabulous burger recipe and from that I find I want to go further and try to make the best burger ever. I like the speed which you can cook (and eat!) a good burger, pairing it with a unique local farmer’s cheese or making a specific sauce or relish to go with it.
How do you achieve a work/life balance?
For me it’s always about having a hobby or interest which helps you switch off from the day job. Hospitality can naturally be intense, the pressure of preparation for events, people’s wedding days, birthday celebrations or just a special meal out. Diners and guests are still spending hard-earned money, so it’s important that we exceed their expectations. I love getting out on the mountain bike, being out on the fells. Even when I repeat the same trail, the seasons make it different every time. I always try to encourage colleagues and our culinary academy students to develop and maintain hobbies and interests outside of work.
Address: The Foodworks Restaurant, Lancaster House Hotel, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4GJ.
Tel: 01524 844 822 https://englishlakes.co.uk/hotels/lancaster-house-hotel/dining-bars/the-foodworks-restaurant/.
Open Monday to Sunday,
Situated within the four-star Lancaster House hotel, The Foodworks combines a variety of exquisite dishes, celebrating both British classics and tastes from afar.
Each dish is prepared with care and imagination using fresh local produce.
It is this insistence on quality and freshness that sets The Foodworks restaurant apart as one of the best restaurants in Lancaster.
And whilst there, guests are invited to stay a while, relax in front of the roaring open fire in the reception lounge, or even overnight in one of their elegantly appointed rooms.
Lancaster House Hotel is a Visit Lancashire Partner.
Visit Lancashire, through their Taste Lancashire campaigns and activities, showcase Lancashire’s leading food and drink providers and producers, locally, nationally and internationally. For more information, go to http://www.visitlancashire.com/Taste.
2. For the pastry, rub together the flour, salt, lemon zest and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Then add the sugar to the mixture. Beat together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly add these in too. Mix until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm in thickness. Carefully arrange the rolled pastry into the tray and use any excess pastry to push into the corners to ensure the pastry is flush with the tray. Place a piece of greaseproof paper over the pastry tart shell to hold the baking beans; this should be slightly larger than the pastry case so that it overlaps the pastry and tray edges.
5. Use small baking beans or rice to fill the lined tart shell. Bake ‘blind’ – the technique for ensuring your pastry crust doesn’t go soggy – for about 10-12 minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn golden brown. Check the base is cooked. If so, I like to brush the tart shell
with egg yolk and return to the oven to give an extra golden brown colour but also seal any gaps. While cooling, turn the oven down to 130°C / gas mark 1 so you can cook your custard tart.
6. For the filling, bring the cream to the boil. Whisk the yolks and sugar together then add the cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug.
7. Place the pastry case in the oven then pour in the custard mix right to the brim. Grate the nutmeg liberally over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard appears set but not too firm – it should have a little wobble in the centre.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
9. Make the sugar syrup by placing the water and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil, simmer for 3-4 minutes and remove, allow to cool.
10. I cooked my rhubarb using a method called sous vide, however, it can be done in a pan.
Simply peel and cut rhubarb in to finger length pieces, place in a pan with the sugar syrup and gently poach. Lift out when they feel soft but hold their shape.
11. Cook any off-cuts or small pieces in the same pan until soft and blend to make a puree
I like to add the peel back in the pan to give the rhubarb colour.
12. Using the leftover egg white, you can also make and add a little meringue for decoration on the plate
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