Meet Simon Hartnett, Executive Head Chef, The Queens Hotel
“I love nothing more than a busy Saturday, when we’ve had a big wedding and everything has gone to plan – you do feel a sense of achievement,” says Simon Hartnett, Executive chef, The Queens Hotel, Southsea. He likens the role to that of being an orchestra conductor.
“When you are standing on the pass as Executive Chef, it is like being the conductor of an orchestra, bringing all the elements together. From as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a chef. I was fascinated by food as a child and when we went on holiday to France, I would use the pocket money I had saved to go round the food markets buying cheese and other treats. My Nan worked as a cook and because my Mum worked long hours, I would always cook at home. I can remember being about six or seven years-old making scrambled eggs and enjoying it.
“My goal has always been to become an executive chef in a hotel. Having studied at Highbury College in Portsmouth, I’ve since worked at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, The Old Drum in Petersfield (winning rosettes), before leading the brigade at The Queens Hotel. When I heard about the opportunity at The Queens it fitted perfectly with what I wanted to do and it allowed me to work in the top hotel in my home city. Being here has allowed me to do things like work on my friend’s wedding and cater for my old school’s prom.
“Modern British probably sums up my cooking style. Another way to describe it would be classic British food cooked to a really high standard. We take good quality ingredients and elevate them. My signature dish is pork belly and scallops. Pork with seafood is incredible – and it features on our current menu. There’s something amazing about bringing a relatively cheap cut like pork belly together with an expensive ingredient like scallops – the cheaper element brings flavour and the expensive ingredient brings a touch of luxury.
“We are blessed to have some of the best ingredients grown locally: for example there is no finer flavour than an Isle of Wight tomato, and I love to include them whenever I can. They will be on my menu from the moment I can get hold of them until the very end of the season. Keeping dishes clean and crisp is the key and with wonderful produce like the Isle of Wight tomatoes you can let the flavours speak for you. Creating a simple dish perfectly is the focus for me – doing small things perfectly.
“It makes a real difference when you can build a relationship with suppliers who are local to you. We get our sourdough bread from a wonderful bakery called Bread Addiction and I have a great relationship with the team at Mooka, who make ice cream. We’ve had great fun creating ice creams together including a Guinness ice cream that accompanied a Jamaican Ginger Treacle Tart.
“Seasonality and buying local are key elements for me. I’m a great believer in the old saying – ‘What grows together, goes together.’
“Being Portsmouth born and bred, I can still remember how I felt walking into The Queens’ Restaurant 1865 for the very first time. The high ceilings, beautiful plasterwork, chandeliers and stylish wooden flooring are all amazing. I just thought wow. You do feel like the food has to live up to the beauty of the room."
And what’s the next goal? “I would love The Queens Hotel to become known for foodie breaks where you book in for a couple of nights and enjoy fantastic food throughout your stay. We are seen as the place to go for a celebration. Ideally, I would like The Queens to be at the forefront of people’s minds when they are choosing the best place to pop in for breakfast or enjoy afternoon tea with friends.”