Jack Clayton

Scarlet Hotel’s head chef Jack Clayton is just as happy scrambling over rocks when foraging as he is crafting modern British dishes in the kitchen of the Cornish eco hotel. Jo Rees went digging beneath the surface

Do you have a secret foraging spot you’ll never reveal?

Definitely – I’ve got a few. If you discover a good spot for an ingredient that’s hard to find and then you tell people, the ingredients are soon gone. I keep those spots to myself now!

What foraged ingredients have you been especially delighted to discover?

It’s great when you come across something like a crop of cep mushrooms – which are so expensive to buy – on the coast. At the end of last summer I went hunting for sea vegetables and found a load of sea carrots and fennel growing in the sand. I’d never found them before so that was quite special. Sea carrots are only the size of a finger and very thin, but their depth of flavour is immense. I’m always careful not to take too much of anything so we don’t clear areas; I just take what we can use that day.

What did you do with the sea carrots?

We made them into a puree for a monkfish dish – it provided an intense carrot flavour.

What do you forage for in the spring?

Spring is the best time for foraging as everything comes to life. I’ll be out picking greens like wild garlic, watercress and alexanders. I live 30 miles from the hotel and drive past woods near Bodmin every day to get to work. That’s the best place for woodland foraging around here; there are lots of secret spots.

Is there anything you’ve always wanted to find but haven’t yet?

I’ve never found a truffle and I’ve always wanted to. They are around though; I need to train my dog to sniff them out.

The hotel is known for its environmental practices and focus on sustainability. How does that work in the kitchen?

I’m always tracking food waste and looking at how we can continue to cut it. I’ve never worked in a kitchen that’s as sustainable as we are here; we reuse nearly everything and very little is thrown away. I think people are appreciative of the way we focus on sustainability.

I’ve also noticed a lot more non-vegan people eating from the plant‑based menu.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten for research or curiosity?

Insects seem to be the next big thing and so we’ve been trying different types of ants with different levels of acidity. Of course, at first you think, No! and then you try them and discover they have a citrus flavour.

How would you envisage using ants in your cooking?

Dried into powder form so it makes a natural citrussy seasoning. I don’t know lots about it yet but I’m going to explore.

What else are you inspired by this season?

I’m introducing a range of mushroom tinctures onto our bar menu. Our local mushroom grower Atlantic Fungi Co‑Op has six different mushroom types, such as lion’s mane and cordyceps, which enhances the senses and provide different benefits. People can add a tiny pipette of tincture to their coffee: lion’s mane in the morning to wake them up and reishi mushrooms to help them sleep. I’ve started using cordyceps myself in the morning and I’ve noticed it makes my brain work better.

If you could have dinner anywhere in the world tonight, where would it be?

Restaurant Kontrast in Oslo. I really like what the Scandinavians are doing with food right now.

Where do you go out to eat or drink in the South West?

I went to The Cornish Arms – chef John Hooker’s place in Tavistock – on the weekend and you always get a good meal there. I also like Pintxo in Fowey, which is a tiny little tapas and sherry bar. I also often go to St Kew Farmshop – I’ve got kids aged two and five and it’s a good place to take them. We also visit the Bedruthan Hotel as they have soft play and a pool, and good food for kids as well as adults.

Which dish on the menu are you most pleased to have created?

My specialism is fish and one of my favourites was a dish of stuffed brill with nasturtium mousse, kombu pearl, Champagne butter sauce, a crispy oyster and potato and truffle terrine. It was pretty amazing. The food level we’re achieving here is, I think, higher than our accreditation. Lots of people have told me the food is better than they’ve had at Michelin‑starred restaurants, so I think it would be interesting to see if we could achieve a Green Star.

What don’t people know about you?

That when I left school I was in the Marines. It was all I wanted to do when I was a child but I unfortunately got injured while training and had to be medically discharged. The training massively helped my organisational skills though and that comes through in the kitchen – my paperwork is very regimented!

scarlethotel.co.uk