Nathan Outlaw on the validity of Michelin stars, good fishmongers and his 500 cookbooks

He grew up in a landlocked town in Kent, but Nathan Outlaw has become one of the country's leading fish chefs and has two restaurants serving only that in the little village of Port Issac in Cornwall

As your father was a chef, was there ever any doubt that you would follow in his footsteps and do you hope your children might?

My dad is still a chef and works alongside me at Outlaw’s at The Capital. When I first began to look at becoming a chef, my parents tried to talk me out of it as they both knew it wasn’t an easy life. However, once they realised I was serious, they supported me. It wasn’t my first choice. I wanted to be a Disney animator but that was unlikely to happen! I liked cooking and seemed to be pretty good at it so that’s how I arrived at becoming a chef. My daughter, who is 13, is showing the same talent. She’s been cooking since she was a tiny tot. She’s spending time this summer with me at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. If she decides to pursue a career in the industry I’ll support her all the way but the main thing is that she’s happy whatever she does.

Your first job was at the Intercontinental Hyde Park Corner in London. What was that like as a first job?

It was terrifying. Not only working in a place like that with so much prestige but also living alone in London as an 18 year old. The good thing about being at the Intercontinental was that we worked straight shifts. The real shock was when I went elsewhere and had to work split shifts. They’re a killer. I learned lots at The Intercontinental, especially about working with people from different backgrounds and nationalities. I also learn about different cuisines. It was a steep learning curve but a great start to my career.

Where did your obsession with fish come from after growing up in the landlocked area of Maidstone in Kent?

I’ve always been drawn to the sea. As a child I used to go on visits to the seaside at Hastings, Folkestone and Camber with my parents. The sea mesmerised me and I loved watching the fishermen in the Old Town at Hastings. I think it was the sea that began my obsession with fish.

You worked with Rick Stein in the late 90s, do you think this is what shaped your career and how you later became a friendly rival for Stein who previously ruled the roost in Cornwall?

I think it was circumstances that shaped my career although he did ignite my interest in seafood cookery. I was drawn to Cornwall for various reasons, not least that I met my wife, who is from Padstow! My career has really been shaped by Cornwall and what is available to me here as a chef.

You’ve got two restaurants in north Cornwall’s tiny village of Port Isaac, why did you decide to open both in the same place?

Why not? Port Isaac lends itself to me having seafood restaurants here. For a start, I can get the best seafood in the world locally. The restaurants are at the top and bottom of the village, allowing customers to see the sea as they dine and I can visit both places (and The Mariners, the pub I run in Rock with Sharp’s Brewery) easily whenever I want to. It’s the ideal place!

At the bottom of Port Isaac, opposite the harbour, is Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen restaurant, serving small plates (Beth Druce)

You only serve fish on your menus, is this likely to ever change?

Only if there was a serious decline in the availability of top quality fish available to me. If I did add something else, it would be a vegetarian based menu. We have wonderful veg in Cornwall too.

Where do you source your fish from, and how do you check it’s from a sustainable source?

I’ve spent years building up relationships with my suppliers, most of what I have comes from Wing of St Mawes (thecornishfishmonger.co.uk), Kernow Sashimi and local fisherman. There’s nothing like knowing who you’re dealing with. I only deal with people who I know have sustainable supplies.

The Fish Kitchen restaurant is the more relaxed of the two in Port Isaac (Rex)

What fish and seafood do you think we should be eating more of in order to allow more popular types of fish to flourish?

It’s not really about what types of fish to eat, it’s about using a good fishmonger, having an open mind and using what he has lots of at any given time. If it’s not there, it’s probably because it’s not available at sea so you shouldn’t be demanding it.

How do you try to reduce the amount of food wasted in your kitchens?

We try to use everything we can. There will always be some wastage, usually because people who are expected don’t turn up, but we tend to utilise anything that’s left over for staff meals. It’s the cost involved that makes us more frugal, not the waste.

Restaurant Nathan Outlaw has two Michelin stars – do you think this is still a valid rating system of restaurants?

It’s only valid if it means something to you. If you are a customer or chef who likes to eat at Michelin starred restaurants, all well and good. It does give some measure of what to expect. However, it should really about the whole experience you have when visiting a restaurant, not just the food.

This restaurant also only serves a six course tasting menu. Do you see this changing in the near future?

I don’t use a tasting menu as a foodie fashion thing. I use it because there’s only a certain amount of top quality seafood available on any given day and I want my customers to experience it. A tasting menu allows me to do that. Having a large a la carte menu would mean lots of waste because of the way that works. What we have on the menu is the very best available and it’s not wasted.

What do you think won you the Good Food Guide 2018’s best accolade?

I think it’s mainly down to the fact that there is no other restaurant in the UK doing what we do in the way we do it. Customers here have a unique experience in a unique place. And don’t forget it’s taken us since 2003 to get here!

On the menu at The Capital, Nathan’s London outpost, is this sole dish (Jodi Hinds)

How does your London outpost, Outlaw’s Restaurant at The Capital compare to your Cornish restaurants?

The ethos is the same, the quality of the fish is the same. Everything there is inspired by what we do in Cornwall.

Academy Nathan Outlaw trains news chefs in Cornwall, how important do you think vocational courses are in areas like Cornwall?

Vocational courses are important wherever you are in the country. However, in Cornwall the biggest employer is the hospitality and tourism industry so it stands to reason that the provision of high quality courses for those working in the industry needs to be available to people, both young and more mature, who want to make a success of their career. The sad part is that we still have a lack of people going into front of house training. It’s a shame as it can be a really great career for the right people.

You’ve written four cookbooks, with a fifth to come next April, but how many do you own at home and which is your go-to?

I’ve never counted all my cookery books at home. I’d guess it’s well over the 500 mark (maybe near 700?) I tend to revisit the older ones quite often. My favourite is “English Seafood Cookery” by a young chef and writer called Richard Stein, but I also use books by Simon Hopkinson, Keith Floyd, Elizabeth David and Joyce Molyneaux on a regular basis. I love cookbooks. They’re an obsession!

What’s your favourite dish to cook for your family?

I like cooking a traditional roast with all the trimmings. In the summer, it will be a BBQ. Both sometimes feature fish rather than meat. But we do like a nice joint of meat too.

Where do you like to eat out at?

It depends. I tend to go casual usually because I have my family with me so I like to be able to have something quick. If it’s more formal, I like somewhere interesting but not stuffy. I tend to go for Asian and Indian influenced food. In Cornwall, I like Kahuna in Newquay, Porthminster Beach Cafe right on Porthminster beach, St Ives and Craftworks Street Kitchen in Truro and Padstow.

Who do you look to for inspiration?

My inspiration is more about the ingredients available to me than people. I look forward to the seasonal changes, the times when the first asparagus, strawberries, hen crabs and lobsters come in. It’s always exciting and makes me want to use them. Not only does using seasonal ingredients keep things fresh and new but it means you’re using them when they’re in the very best condition too. If I had to name people I draw inspiration from they would be people like Rick Stein, Simon Hopkinson and Fergus Henderson.

Nathan Outlaw has four restaurants and a pub. Find them here nathan-outlaw.com