The chef making garden centre food cool

Always destined for a career as a chef, Nick Bailey is slowly adding layers of detail to his food thanks to a passion for foraging… and Bar & Kitchen’s ‘trending now’ advice

What’s your background?

My father was a hotel manager and my older brother followed in his footsteps, so it was written in the stars that I’d do the same.

I’m from Suffolk and my first break was getting a job at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Norwich before I moved to Wood, a Manchester restaurant recognised in the Michelin Guide and owned by 2015 MasterChef winner Simon Wood.

I came home because my partner and I had just had a little boy, and I now work as a Chef de Partie at the award-winning Gardeners Kitchen at Green Pastures Garden Centre near Norwich.

What’s your cooking style?

I love fish, particularly monkfish and cod. They’re both incredibly versatile and can be easily transformed into a dish of the highest quality with only a few flourishes.

My partner is gluten and lactose intolerant, so in recent years I’ve learned to adapt certain recipes to be vegetarian and gluten free and it’s made me a better chef.

I started cooking professionally from college 12 years ago and have slowly added layers based on what I’ve learned from some fantastic chefs.

When did you realise it was the career for you?

I think that after being inspired by my dad and brother, who always encouraged me to experiment with food, the first time I got in a kitchen was a game-changer. I just loved the atmosphere, the different techniques and the buzz of constant deadlines.

It’s still a thrill now regardless of whether we have 30 covers for midweek lunch or 100 for a Sunday roast.

Our venue is famous for fantastic afternoon teas which allows me to be creative and create dishes for both traditional visitors and young people looking for something different.

What sets your food apart?

I’d like to think it’s the textures and flavours but then a lot of chefs probably say that. I try to forage whenever I can as we have some great places near us in Lowestoft and Norfolk to find unusual fresh ingredients.

I love finding wild garlic, herbs and flowers in woodland near me and introducing it to traditional dishes to give them a twist. Foraged ingredients make plates unique.

I won the Feed Your Eyes competition with a dish of smoked garlic, poached globe artichoke, wild garlic and truffle potato risotto, thyme and honey-roasted figs. It was a huge hit with customers.

I’ve incorporated it into the garden centre menu with a sauteed mushroom and foraged wild garlic on toasted sourdough, fried eggs, wild garlic aioli and a sprinkle of shaved parmesan.

Favourite meal?

We’re lucky to have fresh fish in Norfolk so I’d cook salmon or salt and pepper scallops to start and follow it with duck and truffled dauphinoise potatoes.

Favourite moment?

Meeting Marco Pierre White at his restaurant. We had a long chat after I’d eaten, and he invited me out for posh fish and chips the next day. He’s inspired me to run my own place one day.

How does Bar & Kitchen magazine help you?

It’s invaluable for ingredient ideas and helps me think about things slightly differently, whereas front of house find the advice columns useful. The new products and how to use them in recipes are great for idea sharing while the magazine also gives me an insight into emerging trends.

Would you recommend entering the Feed Your Eyes competition?

It’s a bit of fun, it puts where you work on the map and it means you can share your expertise. I’m proud of the dishes I create so why wouldn’t I want to shout about them if it means other chefs can adopt and adapt my recipe?

The chef making garden centre food cool

4 ideas to reinvent salad leaves

New ideas for getting the kids excited about school dinners

Humber St Gallery and Cafe tell us how their venue has become a community hub