Chef Simon Rogan 'not bothered' about second Michelin star
Simon Rogan at his new research and development facility
Emma Eversham, 24/11/2009 13:58
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L'enclume chef/patron Simon Rogan says he 'couldn't care less' about gaining a second Michelin star for his fine dining restaurant as attention turns towards January when the 2010 edition of the guide will be released.
Speaking to Restaurant magazine editor Paul Wootton in an exclusive interview, the chef said: "I couldn't care less about a second star to be honest. All accolades help, but if the inspectors don't like it, they don't like it. They're just normal customers like everyone else. This is my expression, my interpretation. It doesn't mean it's wrong if you don't like it. It's just the way it is.
"We won't deviate from what we do just to achieve an accolade that doesn't always do that much for your business anyway. Business is about repeat customers, making sure they're happy, which 99.9 per cent of people are."
R&D facility plans
Rogan, whose Cartmel fine dining restaurant gained its first Michelin star in 2005, also tells Restaurant about his plans for his new research and development facility and Howbarrow Organic Farm, which he bought earlier this year, as well as his difficulties bonding with the locals.
Rogan and his partner Penny Tapsell set up l'enclume in the Lake District in 2002 with the restaurant being tagged 'The Fat Duck of the north' for Rogan's innovative approach to cooking, a label that the chef is keen to shake off.
"We're nothing like the Fat Duck, we're completely different," he said. "Heston's a one-off, which means he cannot be copied, and I like to think I'm a one-off that can't be copied."
The pair also own and run Rogan & Company, a more mainstream restaurant, also situated in Cartmel.
For the full interview see the December edition of Restaurant magazine, out tomorrow.