Christopher Griffiths is head chef at The Gamekeeper's Inn in Threshfield near Skipton
Q: When did you become interested in food and cooking?
A: I have had an interest in food from a young age. I have always been adventurous and wanting to try everything I could get my hands on. My interest in cooking began around the age of 14 when I took my first job as a kitchen porter at The Angel at Hetton in the Yorkshire Dales. Watching the chefs behind the line working together to produce amazing dishes, and hearing the constant compliments from the customers made me realise this was the career for me.
Q: Where did you learn your skills?
From the age of around 14 to 18, while I was still in education, I took some small part-time jobs, all revolving around food, giving me a good background to start from. When I turned 18, I moved to a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales and began working as a chef in the local pub. While working there, I attended college twice a month, which allowed me to gain my NVQ level 2 in catering.
Q:Where have you worked?
Most of my working life has been within North and West Yorkshire, starting off working for The Angel at Hetton and moving to the White Lion at Cray, also in the Yorkshire Dales.
For a short summer season aged 16, I worked for my family in their newly refurbished hotel, Keld Lodge, in Keld.
Later, in Harrogate, I joined the upmarket Hob Green hotel, now sadly closed, and then Ascot House Hotel. I entered my mid-twenties working for a few large companies, starting off with Market Town Taverns, and finishing with Ossett Brewery.
At the age of 27 I decided to take the leap and become self-employed, expanding my horizons beyond Yorkshire, venturing up to Scotland and the Lake District, before returning to Yorkshire during Covid. Since then I have added The Devonshire at Bolton Abbey and The Piece Hall in Halifax to my list, to name a few. In the middle of last year, I decided it was time to return to the world of employment, and in November 2023 I joined The Gamekeeper's Inn as executive sous, only three months later to be promoted to head chef.
Q: What do you love about being head chef?
A: For me, being a head chef isn't about taking all the glory, every member of my team commits many hours a week to ensure each service runs well and the food we produce is of the highest quality. I really enjoy it when we get the good customer feedback, and being able to share that with the team. At the end of the day, if I did not have my team around me, there would be no role for me here.
Q: How many staff work in your kitchen?
A: At the moment we are quite a close-knit team, comprising myself, my sous chef Ben, my junior sous Nat, two part time chefs, Grant and Dave, my apprentice Joe and my two kitchen assistants Rick and Szilard. We all work really well together, but there are times, just like anywhere else, where you have had a long day, and it is hard to keep everyone motivated!
Q: What are the challenges?
A: We cater for functions and weddings in our function room, up to 120 covers. Chefs need to plan and order stock to cater for all the events we host, but I think the biggest challenge now, that I know other chefs will agree with, is finding chefs to fill any vacant roles. The last few years have proven very challenging for this industry as a whole: during Covid many chefs left the industry.
Q: Do you specialise in anything?
A: I don't think I would say I specialise in any particular area, I am always looking to expand my knowledge, learning from chefs in my team, and others around me, to better myself and my skill set. Every day to me is a school day, and I aim to go home having learnt at least one thing new every day.
Q: Describe the food you are cooking?
A: I am keeping a majority of the menu as traditional Yorkshire dishes but with a modern edge and with influences from around the world. From our new Yorkshire tapas nights, to our classic steak nights and our amazing alternative afternoon teas, everything has a hint of Yorkshire, while incorporating modern influences.
Q: How do you feel when diners send compliments to the chef?
A: I feel an immense sense of pride every time I hear a customer compliment a dish they have enjoyed, but I also remain humble, knowing that without the support of my chefs behind me, we would not have been able to achieve such great feedback. I make sure to pass the compliments on to the team and, knowing who has made which items of the dish, congratulate them personally to show them that their work has been appreciated.
Q: Have you been inspired by any celebrity chefs?
A: From a young age I have always tried to make it to as many food festivals and shows as possible, meeting the likes of James Martin, Greg Wallace, The Hairy Bikers, John Torode and Marco Pierre White.
Being able to either meet these amazing chefs personally, or even just hear what they have to say, has given me more drive and determination to succeed in this industry, and provide the highest quality dining experiences possible for anyone who walks through our doors.
Q: What are your favourite cookery programmes?
A: I grew up watching Two Fat Ladies - Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson - Delia Smith, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver. Now, my tastes have changed, and I tend to watch a cookery program based not on who is hosting it, but on where they are, what they are cooking, and what I am looking to expand my knowledge in at that moment in time.
Q: What are your ambitions?
A: My ultimate goal would be to be the chef/patron of my own establishment, but I would also be very content to follow in the family footsteps and open a small hotel in a nice, quiet part of the Dales.
Q: What is your favourite meal and who would cook it?
A: My favourite meal would have to be a traditional Sunday lunch: roast beef - nice and pink with plenty of gravy - and veg. As for who I would want to cook it, despite meeting all these celebrity chefs, and eating in the majority of their restaurants, I would have to say it would be my grandmother. There is something special about sitting down for a meal around the table with family and loved ones.
The Gamekeeper's Inn, Long Ashes Park, Threshfield, Skipton BD23 5PN; gamekeeperinn.co.uk
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