Quits his job to rescue an abandoned pub and earns 1 Michelin star: the story of Stephen Harris.
The story
Take a deep breath, relax, and get ready to read what The Guardian has called one of the greatest romantic tales in the world in one of its articles: the plot of the story is set against the sea, a modest pub, and a self-taught chef. Stephen Harris was a financial consultant when at the age of 37, he decided to quit his job and, along with his brother Phil, to purchase a rundown establishment on the north coast of Kent.
The pub was called The Sportsman and was known to everyone as "a tired old boozer". However, the brothers, who grew up in the area, believed in its potential and, with the help of friends, committed to renovating the premises for the (relatively modest) sum of £30,000, lent to them by their third brother, Damian. And then? For years, The Sportsman sailed by sight, entirely guided by the two brothers. No ambition to become famous, no pretext to aim for the stars, no crazy investments in design or mise en place.
"There's a lot of money swirling around restaurants and, I suspect, a lot of pissed-off investors," says Harris. "We managed to avoid all that." Maintaining total freedom, they invested instead in the kitchen, hiring chef Dan Flavell, while Harris focused on sourcing ingredients, developing dishes, and training chefs. From the very beginning, Harris was inspired by Pierre Koffmann's book, Memories of Gascony, for the management of his pub: thus, he transplants the cuisine de terroir and values the regional products of Kent, incorporating them into his dishes. Sea water is collected to make salt. Butter is churned from strictly local dairy. This focused emphasis on everything typical of the area becomes the hallmark of The Sportsman, and Harris transitions from chef to artisan.
In 1999, all of this seemed revolutionary. Thus, word of The Sportsman's management spreads through newly emerging web forums, and Seasalter, near Whitstable, becomes a pilgrimage site for food enthusiasts. "It's truly an excellent establishment," even René Redzepi of Noma once said to Restaurant magazine, and in 2008, The Sportsman earned the Michelin star that would help it reach its 25th anniversary this year. "Everyone tries to appear alternative and says that Michelin doesn't matter," Harris candidly comments. "But I would have been bitter and resentful, just as chefs sometimes are, without that star. We honed our palate in the '90s in London. Although, of course, that's just one part of a successful restaurant."
The Sportsman wouldn't be anything without Harris's creativity, but his work, aimless walks on the beach, dreaming up new dishes, or refining ideas "like a Victorian scientist," would in turn be impossible without a solid business structure and a trusted team around him. "Stepping back from running every service was also a matter of priorities," admitted Harris. In 2013, Harris had a son, and to help his wife, Emma, he began going home around 5:30 p.m. for a few hours before returning to the pub. It's a routine he still maintains today. These routines outside the kitchen, he says, allow him to not grow old. As a chef and as a person.
