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Cubitt House is a renowned restaurant group in London, celebrated for its collection of elegant, neighbourhood gastro pubs and dining venues.
Cubitt House is a renowned restaurant group in London, celebrated for its collection of elegant, neighbourhood gastropubs and dining venues. Known for combining timeless British hospitality with a contemporary twist, Cubitt House offers seasonal, locally-sourced menus that highlight the best of British cuisine.
I grew up in a foodie family, though my parents, being busy, didn’t cook much themselves. After finishing school, I decided to try my hand at cooking and landed a job at a local hotel, where I had the opportunity to work with a young Jason Atherton. His inspiration and encouragement led me to move to London.
In London, I started at the Ritz, thanks to a connection, but was massively under qualified, I got through the 2 years by the skin of my teeth! From there, I worked at Coast Restaurant for Stephen Terry, followed L’Oranger with Marcus Wareing.
Next, I returned to work for Jason Atherton at Frith Street restaurant before taking a detour to work at an Italian restaurant called Al Duca. It was at Al Duca that my passion for cooking truly developed. After that, I spent some time in Scotland and helped set up the Salt Yard Group in London, where I served as chef and director for 13 years. During this time, I began writing and developed a deep interest in Mediterranean food culture.
In 2019, I opened Norma, and in 2022, I became the chef and director for Cubitt House. Since then, we have refurbished the existing portfolio of pubs and are continuing to expand further in central London.
Working at Al Duca sparked my passion for Italian cuisine and cooking. At the Salt Yard Group, I honed my skills both as a chef and an operator, managing five locations and fully immersing myself in Mediterranean cooking.
My time at Crinan Restaurant in Scotland taught me the true meaning of sourcing locally. In this remote location, I had no choice but to work directly with local farmers and fishermen, using primal cuts of meat and whole fish. This experience deepened my appreciation for fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
Navigating COVID was a huge challenge for me. I had recently opened Norma with great success, only to then have to suddenly close. I had to manage the fallout from that with my teams, making hard decisions along the way. We also launched an at-home delivery service, like many other restaurants. In the beginning, it was chaotic as no one knew what they were doing, but we were determined to stay relevant and make money. This period will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the biggest challenges for many operators.
Certainly! Stephen Terry who I worked with for years had a huge influence on my food philosophy and also management style. Jason Atherton also taught me a great deal about the hospitality world and his drive is infectious.
I'm currently enjoying working with Sam and Georgie Pearman at Cubitt House. Their vast experience and clear vision in hospitality are incredibly inspiring, and I am constantly learning new things from them. Working with them is truly a breath of fresh air.
Short ribs need to be cooked long and slow to tenderize the meat. Cooking them over night in stock and sweet PX sherry not only tenderizes but also produces a sweet sticky glaze full of meaty goodness from the short rib bones. The blackened-bitter onions are a great contrast to the cooling, fresh yogurt
Zaatar is the name for either a type of thyme grown in the Middle East or the name for a spice mix used in Middle Eastern cuisine- it contains hyssop, sumac, sesame seeds and salt- for this recipe it’s the spice mix that’s needed. Zaatar is now widely available from delis- it’s a great thing to have in the larder for finishing dishes to add spicy crunch.
6 thick, meaty beef short ribs
½ bottle of red wine
500ml PX sherry
1.5 lite beef stock - homemade or quality, fresh bought
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally
Sea salt, olive and black pepper for cooking
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch of garden onions
200ml thick yogurt
2 tsp of Zaatar spice mix
Heat an oven to 130oc.
Heat a large oven tray or lidded casserole over a medium heat (this vessel should be big enough to house all the ribs).
Add a lug of oil and when hot brown off the short ribs, in batches, all over- take your time with this part to ensure they are really nicely caramelized- its key for a successful dish. When the ribs are ready nestle the garlic in the bottom of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes and then transfer all the ribs into the pan. Pour in the wine and PX sherry, bring to the boil and then reduce by a half- scraping the bottom of the pan as you go to deglaze.
Now add the stock, bring to the boil and turn to a very low simmer, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Place the lid on or cover with foil and place in the oven for 6-7 hours- I put this in before I go to bed and take it first thing in the morning. The rib meat will be incredibly tender and the liquid quite thick, sticky and rich.
Leave the ribs to cool down in the liquor- this will rest the meat and also let the sauces flavours develop. Take out the head of garlic, press the cloves through a sieve and stir the puree into the sauce.
Heat and oven to 220oc, toss the onions with oil and seasoning, transfer to a roasting tray and cook until tender and charred, about 20 minutes.
When ready to serve slowly heat the ribs back up in the casserole or tray- add a splash of stock or water to help the process if the sauce is too thick. When hot check and add seasoning as necessary and stir in the parsley.
Spoon the yogurt onto a plate and top with the onions. Serve the ribs family style at the table and sprinkle over the zaatar.
