The mother-and-daughters-run restaurant has held its status as a beloved Exeter dining spot since 1993. Rosanna Rothery finds out why
For chef-proprietor Sam Pounds of Harry’s in Exeter, gathering around the table for a feast with family and friends is all part of a foodie lifestyle. Having grown up in a family of nine, she embodies the philosophy that sharing homecooked food and lively chatter is integral to a joyful way of life. Indeed, she’s built her career on that premise.
Sam runs Harry’s with the help of her daughters Zoe (chef), Tigerlily (front of house), India (part-time front of house) and Phoebe (a lawyer who occasionally works front of house). Yet despite working like Trojans in the kitchen and dining room at Harry’s, they still love nothing more than serving up delicious food for family members on their night off.
‘Our family dinner is a big deal,’ says Sam. ‘Boyfriends who’ve come into the family can’t believe we start with drinks and it turns into this whole ritual of food and catching up.’
Hospitality with heart
It’s little surprise, then, that straight-from-the-heart hospitality underpins every element of the food and drink experience at the restaurant.
‘I always say to the staff, “You’re not serving, you’re hosting”,’ says Sam. ‘Those are massively different things.’
Tigerlily agrees: ‘It’s vital to treat guests as if you are welcoming them into your own living space. There’s never a sense of rush, and we put dishes on the menu that we think people will enjoy – not because they’re easy to cook or cheaper to make.’
Sam believes a female-led, family-run kitchen and front-of-house team brings other qualities too.
‘We’re not egotistical,’ she explains. ‘For instance, a great female chef will sometimes cook for an entirely different reason than a great male chef. At Harry’s, we cook and host to nurture and provide. It’s our way of giving and caring.’
The restaurant, housed in a beautiful Victorian building on Longbrook Street, has been in the family since Sam’s parents, Annette and Simon, took it over in 1993 (they’d previously owned a restaurant on Queen Street).
‘Originally, my mother and I worked in the kitchen while my father ran front of house,’ says Sam. ‘My father was a real character. Everyone knew Simon. He was the Basil Fawlty of Exeter – and he lived up to it.
‘When I eventually took the restaurant on, my biggest fear was that I wasn’t a personality like my dad. Luckily, my bunch of fantastic girls have made up for it.’
Family bonds
Over the years, Sam and her daughters have mixed and matched roles in the kitchen and restaurant alongside a tight-knit, longstanding team of employees. Their only complaint is that they haven’t always been able to see each other outside of work due to busy rotas.
Gauging the mood
At any time, guests gathered around the tables at Harry’s may be on first dates, graduation celebrations, family dinners, reunions with friends, anniversaries or pre-show drinks. Tigerlily and the front-of-house team have become experts at reading the room, while Sam and Zoe craft menus that work whatever the occasion.
‘While we love cooking delicious dishes, that isn’t all we do,’ says Zoe. ‘We’re not just here to plonk food on the table; we’re here to make sure our guests celebrate in just the way they’d like.’
Sam adds: ‘They don’t even necessarily have to come and have a full meal. If they want arancini and cocktails followed by a glass of fizz, we’re happy.’
Sweet spot
Those of us who have wandered through the side streets of a European city and stumbled across a family-run bistro or trattoria serving traditional, homely food will know the sense of elation it elicits. Here in the UK, finding such a gastronomic neighbourhood gem is rare. Few restaurants straddle that perfect culinary ground between polished grown-up dining and family-run eatery. Harry’s, though, hits the sweet spot in a casually glamorous way.
‘We’ve always liked the feeling you get in family restaurants abroad and we’ve tried to bring that home from our holidays,’ says Sam.
She describes the culinary style of Harry’s as ‘modern European bistro’, with an emphasis on generous portions and delicious simplicity.
‘My heart sinks when a chef says you can massively improve a dish by putting a squish of pea on it,’ she laughs. ‘Now, in what way has that improved it?’
Sam believes one of the reasons Harry’s has enjoyed so many years of hospitality success is that it hasn’t slavishly followed trends.
‘Lasagne may not be trendy, but if people want lasagne let them have it,’ she says. ‘You just need to make sure it’s the best lasagne they’ll ever eat. Pappardelle with ragù bianco may sound trendier on the menu, but I think I know what most of our customers would really want. In many ways, you just have to be brave enough to hold the line.’
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