A Chat With Masterchef 2018 Semi-Finalist Greg Emmerson
One year ago Greg Emmerson entered the Masterchef kitchen for the very first time. Today he is in the process of launching a new Hampshire restaurant, spurred on by his success by reaching the semi-final stages of the well established cookery competition. Some say he left too early after impressing John Torode and Greg Wallace with a dish of risotto that interestingly did not include any rice!
Located in the small village of Wickham, approximately 3 miles north of market town of Fareham, the brand new 64 cover restaurant will be called Table 22. It will be situated in a Grade II listed building currently under refurbishment and expected to open around mid November.
I caught up with Greg earlier in the week to find out a bit more.
Why did you decide to open up Table 22?
We have been looking for a suitable site for several months, when we discovered the Old House Hotel in Wickham, it was simply too good an opportunity to let pass by. It’s a beautiful building and the restaurant was just the size we’d been looking for with bags of potential.
What style of food will you serve?
Our food style will be modern cuisine with influences from all over the world, they’ll be something for everyone and a few surprises too, we want our customers to experience something a bit different.
Will the restaurant have a signature dish?
All our dishes will be signature, I think it depends on our customer’s preferences, we all have different tastes, that’s what makes food so exciting.
Where will you souce your ingredients from?
Our ingredients will be sourced locally in Hampshire and further afield in the UK and worldwide. Our suppliers being either artisan producers who we want to support as well as the larger suppliers.
Which chef(s) aspire you?
I think anyone that’s cooks in a commercial kitchen is inspiring, it’s a creative industry and people sometimes forget that. I’m a huge fan of Michel Roux Jnr, Ferran Adria, Rick Stein, the list is endless really. I’m constantly inspired by chefs everywhere I go, last year we were lucky enough to visit Japan, I was totally blown away by a chef who cooked for us in Kyoto, he was a yakitori master, quite incredible.
What tips can you give someone with a dream of owning a restaurant?
Like any project big or small, have a plan, and make sure you detail everything that needs doing and by who. It may seem obvious, but missing out a small detail can cause you problems down the line, have a defined budget and stick to it.
When speaking with Greg he was overflowing with enthusiasm about the concept of the new hotel and it’s food offering. Breakfast will be available to non-residents as well as guests. Lunch will be a more casual affair, but with something a bit different people may not have seen before, such as the Japanese yakitori dishes. Dinner is where Greg will show off his fine dining skills, aiming to draw people in from across Hampshire and beyond.
Dishes created by Greg Emmerson
