As we drift into the months of hibernation, we turn to comfort and indulgence to bring pleasure. And where better to start than at our tables? Suppertimes start to feel distinctly autumnal following an abundance of wibbly squashes, honeyed garden pears and mushrooms fresh from the forest floor.
Suitably, our guest blogger this month is none other than Paul Ainsworth – one of the UK's most celebrated chefs – who divulges his culinary journey, his love for Cornwall's natural larder, and how he built his empire of restaurants there.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into cheffing?
I grew up in my parents' guesthouse and I used to watch them look after their guests. My dad cooked homely meals, while my mum is from the Seychelles and loved aromatic herbs and spices. My interest in food and ingredients began there. When I left school, I went to catering college in Southampton and one of the lecturers had a friend who worked for the late, great Gary Rhodes, and heard there was an opportunity. I had an interview, and that’s when my journey as a professional chef began. I worked for Gary for three years before moving to work for Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road. These were trailblazing chefs, and everyone was talking about them. For a young chef like me, landing a job with them was like finding the holy grail.
How would you describe each of your restaurants? And their different offerings?
Paul Ainsworth at No6 is our Michelin-star restaurant, and our first restaurant in Cornwall. It offers two menus; a two or three-course à la carte menu, and an eight-course tasting menu with surprising little treats in between. We source the finest ingredients then cook them with care and precision. No6 is all about the food journey and offering an unforgettable dining experience. We want our guests to leave us feeling like they’ve had the best dining of their lives, wondering "How did they do that?"
Upstairs at No6 we have Ci Ci’s Bar, where we offer hand-mixed cocktails and a bar snacks menu of pintxos inspired by the little dishes of San Sebastian. This is a place where you can while away an hour or two and just enjoy the surroundings with your favourite drink and a few light bites.
At Caffe Rojano, our Mediterranean-style restaurant, we feature hand-stretched pizzas, house-made pasta, dayboat fish and meats cooked over fire, as well as small plates made for sharing.
Across the water in Rock, we have The Mariners public house, which serves nostalgic pub dishes like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and curry, all given the same care and attention to detail as our dishes at No6. It’s elevated pub food, but we also love it when people just pop in for a pint and a Scotch egg.
Our latest addition to The Ainsworth Collection is The St Enodoc Hotel – we’re planning to close the hotel in October and reopen next summer with a brand new look and exciting food concept to match.
What would you say is your food philosophy?
For me, food is all about bringing people together and creating lasting memories. Our kind of hospitality is not just about nourishing the tastebuds – it’s about feeding all the senses by offering great food delivered with genuine warmth.
What does Cornwall mean to you? And how does this shape your cooking?
I’m proud to call Cornwall my adopted home. It’s wonderful for my wife Emma and I to be able to raise our family in such a beautiful place. As a chef, what I love about Cornwall is the incredible, natural larder that surrounds us. From the pasture-fed cows from Phillip Warren & Son butchers to the dayboat fish from Flying Fish and oysters from Porthilly Shellfish – we are truly spoilt for great produce in Cornwall. There are many great artisan producers too including bakers, fruit and vegetable growers, dairy farmers and cheesemakers.
What are your favourite ingredients to cook with and why?
One of my favourite ingredients is hand-dived scallops, and one of my favourite jobs in the kitchen is preparing them. At No6, we caramelise them on one side and finish them over coals until just cooked through. Then we season them with fennel pollen and lime, and rest them on a tomato and sea-lettuce jam. We finish them with crispy guanciale and sea lettuce, then bathe them in a crab beurre tomato sauce. It’s our twist on a BLT.
Can you tell us the story behind one of your most iconic dishes?
Back on the menu at No6 is a new interpretation of one of the dishes I first cooked when I started at the restaurant nearly two decades ago – a Chicken Tournedos Rossini. That’s a typical No6 dish – recognisable ingredients and one of our all-time most popular dishes, given a whole new look and taste. These are ingredients taken out of their comfort zone!
How has travel inspired your cuisine?
I think as a chef you can’t help but pick up tips, tricks and inspiration everywhere you go. I particularly love Greek cuisine – fresh fish, meat and vegetables cooked simply over coals, delicious olive oils and cheeses. I absolutely love feta. My wife Emma and I were at a restaurant in Halkidiki one night and we were served fried feta with honey that I absolutely loved. So much so, in fact, that I had to go into the kitchen and ask for the recipe, later including a version of it in my debut cookbook For the Love of Food (Nefali Garden Crisp Feta and Chestnut Honey).
What is your most unforgettable food experience?
Last October, I went to Copenhagen with our COO Chelsea Roper, Group Culinary Director John Walton, former No6 head chef Chris McClurg and restaurant director Alice Stewart to visit Restaurant Jordnaer; a three-Michelin star restaurant run by husband and wife team Erik Vildgaard and Tina Kragh Vildgaard. It’s a place I’d wanted to visit for some time, and it was worth the wait because it is one of the most incredible restaurants I’ve ever been to, and the team felt exactly the same way.
Feeling inspired? Explore the Ainsworth collection, or discover our homes with a private chef.
