The elegance of simplicity and the power of youth. If we had to sum up the meteoric rise of Ewan Waller, a 24-year-old from Essex, we would use these words. In a gastronomic world often accused of being self-referential and inaccessible, Waller has broken down the clichés, bringing Michelin glory back to Brighton & Hove after half a century of absence. Average bill? £50 per person, the equivalent of just €57 for a total tasting experience.
The stage for this revolution is Maré, the restaurant on Church Road that opened just last September under the leadership of chef-owner Rafael Cagali. Here, Waller not only leads the team, but also embodies a new philosophy: that of democratic haute cuisine, capable of satisfying without emptying your wallet.
A star born from the “dream” of Dublin
The news, recently reported by the BBC, has the flavor of a feat from another era. During the latest Michelin Guide ceremony in Dublin, Waller and his team experienced what the chef describes as a “surreal” moment. “We went out and bought a bottle of champagne even before we knew, because we felt it could be the right time. Two months later, on stage, that dream came true,” says Waller with the enthusiasm of someone who has transformed a passion born in school into international excellence.
The aesthetics of substance: haute cuisine for everyone
But what makes Maré so special? It's not just the technique, refined over years of training and even pop stints such as those at Pret A Manger (a sign of rare versatility), but the political vision behind the dish. “You can come to us as a couple, spend £100 in total—£50 each (the equivalent of €57)—and leave feeling full,” explains Waller. A statement of intent that challenges the dogmas of contemporary fine dining. The challenge won by the chef was to calibrate portions and costs to make the Michelin-starred experience an everyday pleasure and not a luxury for the select few. “It's all a matter of perspective. We want to offer an experience that cannot be found elsewhere, but that is for everyone.”
The “Best Young Talent” in British cuisine
What impressed the critics of “La Rossa” was not only the quality of the ingredients or the chef's vibrant personality evident in every dish, but also the energy of a very young team. Jake Garstang, 31, the restaurant's manager and sommelier, emphasizes the exceptional nature of the situation: “In thirteen years of working in two-starred restaurants, I have never met such a young chef with this much talent. We are a team of twenty-somethings, still in shock at the result.”
A void filled after 50 years
The return of the “macaron” to Brighton & Hove is not only a personal achievement for Waller, but a historic event for the local community. It had been almost fifty years since the English coastal city had boasted a restaurant in the Guide's Olympus. Waller succeeded by focusing on identity, freshness, and a pact of honesty with the customer.
Today, Maré is not only the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the area; it is the symbol of a restaurant industry that looks to the future, where excellence is not measured by the price of the menu, but by the ability to excite and welcome guests. And at 24, Ewan Waller has just begun to write his story.
