EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF DORIAN JANMAAT

THE IDLE ROCKS’ EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF, DORIAN JANMAAT

THE SHORES OF CULINARY PERFECTION

LAST YEAR THE IDLE ROCKS IN ST MAWES ANNOUNCED A NEW FUTURE FOR ITS RESTAURANT TO BE LED BY THE ARRIVAL OF EXECUTIVE HEAD CHEF, DORIAN JANMAAT.

he award-winning chef returned to his home county of Cornwall, following eight years honing his craft at Raymond Blanc’s 2 Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat‘Saisons. For the past three years Dorian has been Executive Head Chef at this pinnacle of the British restaurant scene.

Find the Balance sought to understand why the pull of Cornwall was so powerful to draw Dorian away from one of the UK’s very best and highly acclaimed restaurants.

What is it about Cornwall that pulled you back? Being near the sea! Cornwall has so much to offer and some of the best fish in the business. I source much of The Idle Rocks’ produce locally and strive to support local fishermen and farmers. There are also so many local suppliers selling incredible ingredients from Exmoor Caviar, the Real Cornish Crab Company and Phillip Warren, one of the oldest farm shops in Cornwall. Using ingredients like this, I try to make my cooking processes as sustainable as possible. Did you always want to move back to Cornwall? Cornwall is such a special place and I’m proud to be from such a beautiful part of the UK. Having worked at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons for eight years, I wasn’t sure whether I would head back to Cornwall or make a move to London but when the offer to head up the kitchen at The Idle Rocks came up I couldn’t refuse it. Our visions for the restaurant were very much aligned so it was a delight to come back in Cornwall.

How would you describe the food and drink scene in Cornwall and does it have an exciting future? Definitely. The food scene in Cornwall is certainly picking up and with everyone spending this summer in the UK, the demand for great restaurants is increasing which is great for the local community. The waters around Cornwall have a huge influence over the food scene here and it’s great to see restaurants serving fresh locally caught fish, Cornish crab and lobster, of course. There are also a number of great distilleries popping up in the county, so the drink scene is definitely making some waves.