also S T A R T E R S
NOrTh ShOre
WITH A NEW RESTAURANT NAME AND NEW INTERIORS, NOEL CORSTON AT NC IS LOOKING FORWARD TO COOKING UP A STORM THIS SUMMER Welcome back after the winter, Noel! We’re looking forward to seeing your new and improved restaurant. But first up, take us back to when you first started cooking… I began cooking at 16 years old. I wanted to do it professionally as a way to work by the coast – to surf the daylight hours on my split shift. I’m still doing that, so it turned out alright! And where was the very first restaurant? I was commis at the Pig ’n’ Fish Restaurant in St Ives – it’s a small fish restaurant run by Paul Sellars, who was head chef of the original team at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. What’s the toughest job you’ve tackled so far? Definitely the toughest job has been working for myself! And what’s your proudest career achievement? Building my own successful restaurant at home in North Devon. How would you describe your style of cooking? Natural, respectful and controlled. How many of you are there in the kitchen team? Just one! How have you approached the menu? It’s a multi-course tasting menu, focused on showcasing our immediate environment at a given moment in time. Plus, I basically cook what I like to eat. Which other local restaurants do you like to eat at? Squires Fish and Chips in Braunton is always a winner, and The Stores in Croyde usually have some banging cakes on board; Johns of Instow, too! Aside from that, I tend to BBQ a lot at home with my family.
Got any favourite suppliers you use for the restaurant? If I tell you I’ll have to kill you! Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without? My kamado grill, and my French plancha. What are your top five-a-day? Coffee, work, surf, family, bed! Favourite cookery book? White Heat – it’s still epic.
What makes the local foodie scene so great? There is so much going on now in Devon as a whole. In North Devon, in particular, exciting things are happening all the time. I think local people want to have more access to local, seasonal produce, and businesses in North Devon are finally taking the hint.
Foodie heroes? I don’t have a hero as such, but as a chef I have a lot of respect for Simon Rogan [British chef with restaurants in London and Cumbria]. He’s a true visionary.
What are your favourite ingredients at the moment? Turbot and asparagus.
Fondest foodie memories from your childhood? Mum’s biscuits, hot and fresh out the oven.
Do you grow anything yourself? We are cultivating a five year old and an eight year old, so there’s not much time for anything else!
NC – Noel Corston, South Street, Woolacombe EX34 7BB; 01271 871187; noelcorston.com
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Current favourite flavour combination? Scallops with seaweed.
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