Moray mum's the word for Michelin-starred chef
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A Moray-born chef who holds a Michelin star has revealed the secrets of his success.
Justin Sharp, who was born and brought up in Keith, was thrilled to retain the honour at a glittering Michelin Guide ceremony last week at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire.
It is the third year his restaurant, Pea Porridge, in the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds, has been awarded the famous accolade, which is respected worldwide.
This year however, Justin and wife Jurga, were able to attend the ceremony in the person, which had previously been held virtually, during the pandemic.
After mingling with guests, drinking champagne until the early hours, and then staying overnight, the couple arrived home last Tuesday – and were in for a big surprise.
Justin said: "I was upstairs, and there was a knock on the door about half an hour after we got back.
"Jurga answered the door, and standing there with a bottle of champagne and a balloon, was my mum Sheila and dad Eric."
Knowing that Justin was going to the awards, the Keith couple had travelled 12 hours from Moray in the hope that he would retain his Michelin star.
Sheila joked: "The reason why he’s a chef is because I was no good at cooking at all.
"So he had to survive, and perhaps thought he'd teach me.
"But, my gosh, I'm so very proud of both Justin and Jurga now."
Justin, whose brother Nathan lives in Fochabers, paid tribute to his parents for the many evenings and weekends they sacrificed to ferry him between college and hotel jobs during his teenage years.
His talents had first become apparent during a week's work experience as a Keith Grammar School pupil at the Waterside Hotel in Peterhead.
Picking up and completing an apprenticeship there, he then spent several years between Ardoe House Hotel and the Marcliffe at Pitfodels.
Justin got his first taste of Michelin standard cuisine when he moved to work for two years at a Welsh rural eatery owned by Laura Ashley co-founder Sir Bernard Ashley.
Seven years then followed at various restaurants in London after which he gained experience in management at The Hillside, in Hertford.
Next, he spent a season catering for top-end villas in Mallorca.
Finally after years of working in other people's establishments, the 46-year-old opened Pea Porridge in 2009 within a former bakery which had sat empty for six months.
The judges praised the restaurant for its high-quality food.
The Michelin Guide reads: "It’s warmly and personally run by a husband and wife, and has a homely, slightly Bohemian vibe, with wooden furnishings and interesting artwork hung on exposed brick walls.
"The daily changing menu of North African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes sees lots of ingredients cooked over charcoal, beech, oak, birch or pine cones. The esoteric wine list champions organic and natural wines."
Justin hopes his Michelin rating will help inspire other young chefs.
He said: "Being awarded the star the first time was always really special.
"Not many chefs get to achieve that, and was particularly pleasing during the time we were going through with the pandemic.
"In some ways, regaining it is even more pleasing because it drives home the fact that you weren’t fluking it that day, or on the occasions when they came in to assess you.
"You can never really say what the Michelin Guide is looking for as there is no set criteria.
"But consistency, I would like to think, is something that has stayed close to the level year on year."
He added: "We try to pack as much flavour into our dishes, sourcing great local produce, working with farmers, fishermen, growers, and keeping a really tight supplier base from as close to Pea Porridge as possible.
"We are not technique driven, with gizmos and gadgets. We are more produce and flavour driven.
"We try to cook a lot through fire, charcoal, wood. We also get stuck in and work in an environment where we are all learning as well at the same time. We like to keep things different and fresh.
"It's a challenging time for our industry, as it is is for everyone with the cost of living crisis.
"But you have to keep soldiering on in the hope that the next generation are better than we are."
For anyone planning a holiday in or around Suffolk, Pea Porridge can be found on Cannon Street, Bury St Edmunds.
