Harbour Loft’s head chef Greg Milne loves to forage on St Michael’s Mount for ingredients to create his dynamic afternoon tea menus. Jane Rakison gets the lowdown on how he ups the ante for the British dining institution
Harbour Loft was an award-winning seafood restaurant, then it pivoted to being an afternoon tea restaurant. Why?
In the aftermath of Covid we were advised that afternoon tea was the way to go. I thought this could be a really good idea so I had to come up with an afternoon tea menu that was both special and had its own USP.
What is the USP?
The afternoon teas are inspired by the flora and fauna of the island. They’re packaged in a luxurious way and move with the seasons. Everything you find on the menu is the essence and flavour of St Michael’s Mount.
Do the menus improve or evolve every year?
Yes, both! Each year they become better and better. Pastry is something I’ve done in previous jobs but I’ve really been teaching myself more of the technical side this year. It’s involved a lot of experiments, a lot of learning, and a few mistakes along the way. The ultimate result though, is a better afternoon tea.
What have you been teaching yourself?
I’ve been mastering glazes, tempering chocolate properly and improving my piping technique. I’ve also been learning how to use invert sugars, the correct settings for agar-agar, which is an ingredient we use a lot because of the allergen aspects.
How important are the allergen-friendly menus?
Very. We have put a lot of effort into them. Paris, our catering manager, has really brought the issue to the fore because she has a severe dairy allergy. I decided that if we were going to lean into that with our offering, the alternative menus had to be equally as flavoursome and technical as the ‘regular’ menus. That way, no one is missing out.
What’s been your biggest allergen-recipe success?
I spent a good three weeks developing a gluten-free brownie. I honed it to such a level I now prefer it to our main one. That was a real moment of chef satisfaction.
What’s your greatest strength as a chef?
Creativity and being open-minded. Taking an idea and incrementally changing it to make it perfect and delicious; I think that developmental side of things is where I shine.
Are you the only forager in your kitchen?
We all forage. If you sign up for the kitchen, you sign up for the foraging. One of the reasons I chose my recently-appointed sous chef is because she’s really into wild ingredients and has good knowledge of them.
Do you have a favourite foraging spot?
At the right time of year there’s a sneaky little damson bush on the mainland that’s always prolific.
You must use a LOT of bread. Where does it come from?
We would love to make our own, but we get through so many loaves we have to buy them in. I did a lot of bread tasting when we first created our afternoon teas and we now use Hallett’s Bakery in Paignton. It’s a really great bakery, the bread tastes delicious plus it’s consistent in thickness and shape. Those last two elements are crucial in delivering a great afternoon tea.
Crustless sandwiches?
They have to be crustless. I know we talked about pushing the boundaries but there are certain things you just have to abide by when it comes to afternoon tea.
Is it a legal situation?
It feels legal! That, and having a cucumber sandwich on the menu in the summer. Although that sandwich is a bit traditional for us so we pimp it up with fennel and pollen mayo.
Where in the South West do you like to eat and drink?
I love a good fry-up. Birdies Bistro in Hayle is amazing and there’s a proper greasy spoon caff in St Austell called Rockhill Cafe. I also love North Street Kitchen in Fowey, Four Boys in Rock and 45 Queen Street in Penzance which is an old garage converted into the most beautiful space.
I’m a big fan of Potager Garden in Constantine. It’s a veggie place attached to a beautiful garden and the menu changes every day. Its really quite special. Finally, Tolcarne Inn is fantastic too, I used to work with Ben Tunnicliffe.
Tell us something people don’t know about you.
I used to play music semi-professionally and toured all over Europe. I did chef jobs in between the touring to fund the trips. Then, I left to write music for a couple of notable bands. For the first half of my life I was convinced I would have a career in music.
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