Chef of the Week: Chef Stephen McLaughlin of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Scotland

1. You took over the management of the restaurant following the passing of Andrew Fairlie, one of the most respected figures in British gastronomy. How did you approach taking on that responsibility, both emotionally and professionally?

I was officially promoted to Head Chef in 2006, but I’d already been working in that role for over 18 months at that point – and I’d been working closely with the former Head Chef for eight years prior to that. This is a perfect example of how we knew we’d continue to work without Andrew – everything is always planned and scripted. We never do anything that is knee jerk.

In some ways how we dealt with losing Andrew professionally was quite straightforward, as we knew what we needed to do to keep his work going. While they’re very different, the emotional and professional responses were very closely linked, as Andrew was of course my boss, but he was also a great and very dear friend.

Losing Andrew as a friend is something I’ll never feel different about – I miss him everyday and still feel choked up when I think about him not being here. But professionally, it gave me the confidence, motivation and pride to continue his legacy and life work. Andrew was very smart. He had been handing the business over to us long before he passed away.

2. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie has a very clearly defined identity and standard. What elements of the restaurant’s DNA were non-negotiable for you to preserve, and where have you felt able to gently evolve things over time?

The non-negotiable for us is the quality of the produce that we use and the people that we work with. We only use the finest ingredients, and the people who work with us are selected on account of their character, passion and drive to achieve excellence. We have a lovely natural synergy between all the team members, both in the kitchen and front of house, all working together as one Restaurant Andrew Fairlie team.

Another thing that can never change is the consistency of what we do and how we do it – this must always be non-negotiable.

The non-negotiable for us is the quality of the produce that we use and the people that we work with.

The thing that has naturally evolved over time is the food. It has become a little lighter in some of the methods of cookery and the choices of ingredients that we use to flavour and season dishes. Our style of cookery is rooted in France, which traditionally included lots of butter, flour and double cream. However, many of our current flavours have been inspired by our travels around Europe and the rest of the world. We of course use the vegetables, herbs, cresses and flowers that we grow in our own walled Victorian Secret Garden, but we’re also incorporating soft spices from the Middle East, and unexpected fruits and vegetables discovered on trips to the Far East, along with oils and vinegars inspired by visits to European markets.

One of the characteristics of our kitchen is working with a good wry sense of humour. We take what we do very seriously, but we do it with good humour and a smile on our faces – this all stems from something Andrew instilled in us, which was to always have fun with what we do.

3. How would you describe your own cooking philosophy today, and how does it sit alongside Andrew Fairlie’s influence on the kitchen?

My motto has always been – and always will be – ‘simple things, brilliantly done.’ The cooking will always be produce-led and driven by the people who cook it.

Similarly, I’m committed to passing on our skills and techniques to the next generation of young culinary talent. A lot of what we’re doing is reinvesting our time and experience as mature chefs, and as more seasoned campaigners in the industry, to teach older skills to younger chefs. It’s important to me that these core skills continue to be taught and passed on, so the young chefs can then pass them on to their brigades when they’re leading a kitchen in the future.

My motto has always been – and always will be – ‘simple things, brilliantly done.’

4. Is there a dish on the current menu that you feel best represents the restaurant as it stands now—and why?

The Assiette de Porc Gascony is a perfect example of this. It’s one of the dishes that was on our opening menu 25 years ago and we’ve just reintroduced it to the menu as Assiette du Porc 2026. This is a brilliant dish to cook, incredible to serve and delicious to eat, but some elements of the original dish were heavier dining than we would feature nowadays. We’ve lightened it with cookery methods, so rather than braising the pork belly in sherry vinegar and orange juice, we now cook it slowly in its own fat and season it with fresh herbs and locally grown apples. The new version is fantastic, and the flavours have been really enhanced by texture and fragrance – something that wasn’t so much on the radar 25 years ago.

Anybody who has eaten the original dish would instantly recognise it, but it’s also totally different. It’s lighter, it has more elegance and balance and provides a depth of flavour which is accentuated by those 2026 textures.

I think this is a really interesting change that reflects the current climate – there’s been a real shift in chefs wanting to look after themselves better and eat more healthily, and this naturally feeds into the menu.

5. Produce has always been central to Restaurant Andrew Fairlie. Is there a Scottish ingredient or supplier that continues to inspire you or challenge you creatively?

I used to think I was biased as a Scot, living and working in the heart of Scotland, but I’ve grown to realise I’m not biased, it’s the truth: Scotland is home to some of the best produce in the world. And I don’t just mean the world-famous shellfish, but the vegetables, wild mushrooms and game in season too. For example, Scottish asparagus is perfect. We can have it picked fresh in the morning specifically for us, ready to be served in the evening, and we barely need to do anything to it. It just needs to be cooked and seasoned properly and served at the right temperature to let that beautiful flavour shine through.

At Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, one of the challenges we set for ourselves is to find a new supplier every year. Our most recent find is one we have fallen in love with: Rachel Cratchley. Rachel has a dairy farm in Auchterarder, just eight miles from the restaurant, with a herd of eight Friesian cows that produce a very small amount of world-class Jersey milk. For the last year we’ve been using Rachel’s milk to make our milk ice cream, which is a 25-year-old recipe and one of our favourites. Rachael’s milk makes our recipe better! It’s phenomenal – it has a deep richness, it’s full of character, and it tastes of Scotland!

6. Holding two Michelin stars for 21 consecutive years is a feat of incredible consistency. What is the daily “Andrew Fairlie” standard that you instil in your team to ensure that the quality never wavers, regardless of the pressure?

The daily standard we’re striving for is to make sure our guests have the best dining experience they’ll ever have. But the important thing that we instil in the team is that there is no pressure. We have a great deal of responsibility as individuals and as a team, but we don’t have pressure.

We’re working to deliver what Andrew set up for us – it’s his, not ours. So, it’s our responsibility to retain and extend his legacy, but I never want the team to feel pressure.

7. What’s something diners might not fully realise about the preparation, discipline, or repetition required to deliver a single service at this level?

I think the thing that surprises people when they see our kitchen and meet the team is the calmness and quiet that we have behind the scenes.

We believe in the importance of working in a very organised and calm environment, where people can think and hear clearly. We cook and work with all our senses, so we need to be able to smell, see and hear what’s happening in the kitchen, as well as tasting our way through a service in all the different sections.

8. Fine dining is constantly evolving. Is there a trend in modern gastronomy that you feel has run its course, or one you’re consciously choosing not to follow?

The ’trend’ that I think, or hope, has run its course is the old school kitchen culture – kitchens that are aggressive and testosterone-fuelled, where people can’t develop. This is something that we have always chosen not to follow, and I very much hope is something of the past.

The ’trend’ that I think, or hope, has run its course is the old school kitchen culture – kitchens that are aggressive and testosterone-fuelled, where people can’t develop.

People need to be able to work comfortably, confidently and feel relaxed, as well as being properly looked after and developed. We want to see shoulders back and heads up, not people feeling intimidated.

9. How do you approach mentoring young chefs within the kitchen, especially in an environment so closely associated with excellence and tradition?

This stems back to my days before I was even a chef, when I was given an opportunity to achieve something. I always take that into consideration when we’re recruiting. Everyone deserves an opportunity, but it must be met with commitment, focus and passion from both sides.

Mentoring young chefs is something I feel incredibly strongly about. I’ve deliberately freed up some of my time as part of my own development and focus over the last few years, to spend time with the young people in the kitchen and in our industry. It’s about making sure that they’re using the right knife for each job but also helping them to source good quality knives for themselves. It’s also important to teach them about seasoning and helping them to understand the power of salt, as well as teaching them how to properly taste and to learn and trust their palete. It’s amazing when you go into this depth of detail with a young chef and you can see the spark in them come alive.

This mentoring is something I’m expecting our senior brigade to follow with too. To become good mentors and leaders is a big part of becoming a great chef. And it’s an honour to play a part in the successful careers of some phenomenal chefs, as well as inspiring a love of what we do at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in others.

10. What have been the biggest challenges of maintaining consistency, focus, and morale within the team?

As with many restaurants and businesses, going into and coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic was tricky, as everybody’s life changed. The restaurant was obviously closed for extended periods of time, and for the first time our team wasn’t together as they were spread over the UK and Europe. Keeping in good contact with people and engaging with how they were personally was very difficult. At work our contact is very close, so to have it gone was a big thing for us.

When we could finally bring the team back, we had lost some people who had found new vocations – so we had to find suitable Restaurant Andrew Fairlie replacements to fill their chef whites. The same happened with suppliers in many ways, as some of our suppliers had to diversify and change their produce. So, we didn’t automatically click back into the old work life, and we weren’t coming back with the same team or supply chain. This was a challenge for us, when consistency is so important to what we do. But we accepted the changes and learnt to work slightly differently, which has proven successful for us.

11. Many chefs in your kitchen have been with you for years, which is rare in this industry. What is your philosophy on leadership and retention? How do you keep a long-serving team inspired and challenged?

We employ the right people and we treat them properly. We believe in having a proper work/life balance and we constantly look to develop and progress our chefs through the ranks of our brigade.

We challenge them in every aspect of what we do – developing their craft, enhancing what they have and adding to their skillset. We also encourage and mentor them through any competitions or awards that they’re keen to achieve. All our chefs are sent on wine courses, so they have a basic appreciation and understanding of all aspects of wine production, and they can go on to do more advanced courses if they choose to. Crucially, there is a proper focus from the business for all team members to be as good as they want to be, not just how good we want them to be.

It’s also simple things. For example, everyone is given a beautiful uniform to work in that fits them properly, and we have a ‘family’ meal together every day that is healthy and nutritious. Things like these all play a part in retaining staff.

Chef Stephen McLaughlin | Instagram
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie | Instagram
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Auchterarder PH3 1NF

Featured photo credit: Phil Wilkinson Photography