Coastal charms

Above: Martin Bennett

Which dish on your current menu do you most enjoy preparing and why?
My favourite dish on the current menu is the fillet of pork with champ mash, caramelised apple and black pudding. I enjoy doing specials, such as pan seared calves liver, red onion marmalade and bubble and squeak; seared fresh tuna loin with chilli spaghetti or Brighton whole plaice with Venus clams prawns and peppers.

How do you decide on a menu?
I look at the seasonal availability of produce and with our location being by the waters edge my specialities have a leaning towards fish dishes.
 
What advice would you give to anyone interested in a career as a chef?
Catering is a vocation and the hours can be long and unsociable, so the need for an understanding partner is essential.

Which chef do you most admire?
Antony Bourdain for his approach, flair and enthusiasm. His approach to cooking and food preparation is an example to us all. I also think a lot of Keith Floyd and Rick Stein for their influence over the years. Then there is my father, who also is a great cook and mentor.

What local product do you value most?
Fresh, local meat and vegetables. Our butcher always tries to purchase locally when available and our meats are of very good quality using produce from both Hampshire and Dorset.

Desert island foods – if you were stranded on a desert island which three foods would you want to take with you?
I think it would have to be something either West Indian or Asian. I am a massive fan of spicy food and curries. I must also mention my mum’s roast dinners.

What is your favourite ingredient?
I have to say micro herbs for their aromatic properties and vanilla pods for their strong, pungent flavour. You cannot under estimate how much certain herbs can improve the taste of a dish.

What’s your most memorable meal?
This was in another local restaurant called The Boozy Rouge, the dish was called mock pig and peppers (venison sausage) followed by Jabberwocky steak.

Describe your signature dish
My signature dish is the pork fillet with champ served with black pudding and caramelised apple. It is one of the favourites on our current menu.

If you hadn’t been a chef, what would you have done?
I have always had an affinity with boats so may have gone into the boat building business. I suppose working at the Water’s Edge gives me a taste of another life. The restaurant overlooks 350 yachts.

How do you source local produce?
The chef director and I make visits to local suppliers. We also encourage regulars and staff to try new specialities which we have found on our travels. There’s a whole new world to be explored.