A Wee Blether With...
Head chef and owner of Edinburgh’s The Little Chartroom and BBC’S Great British Menu competitor spills the beans
Roberta Hall-McCarron, head chef in Edinburgh, and star of the BBC’s Great British Menu
You’re now an established name on Scotland’s food scene – what made you become a chef?
I had to do a week of work experience at school and my parents suggested I try working in a kitchen. I spent a week at The Tower restaurant in Edinburgh and absolutely loved it. The buzz of a busy kitchen to a 16-year-old is quite incredible.
Is there a chef who has particularly influenced your style of food?
Dominic Jack and Tom Kitchin. I worked with Tom for three years and then moved to Castle Terrace with Dominic and spent six years there. These years were such an education about food and respecting produce but also how to run a kitchen.
What was it that made Dominic and Tom such good mentors?
Their excitement when amazing produce came into the kitchen was infectious. Their food is very different from each other’s but the same values are there, which is about buying the best produce and not trying to either have restraint or over-complicate a dish, but still making it look beautiful.
What was the most challenging thing about your time on this year’s Great British Menu?
The whole experience was challenging. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my career. Cooking in front of all those cameras against some incredible chefs... and also knowing that the whole thing will air on national television is absolutely terrifying!
What is your favourite dish that you serve at The Little Chartroom?
The menu changes all the time, but a favourite of mine was a barbecued octopus dish we served with Heritage tomatoes and burr chervil. It was very simple, but the flavours and textures were great.
What is your favourite Scottish ingredient to cook with?
Without a doubt grouse. There’s nothing I love more than getting grouse into the restaurant on the Glorious Twelfth – the first day of the shooting season – and getting them straight on to the menu.
Which Scottish restaurant would you head to for your dream meal?
Going to Inver Restaurant and staying in their bothies is a very special experience, and I also enjoy going to Number One at The Balmoral for a special occasion – their head chef Mark Donald is amazing.
What is the next step for your restaurant The Little Chartroom?
The most exciting thing is getting the restaurant open again after lockdown. We are also opening The Little Chartroom on the Prom where we will be cooking mostly on barbecues “to go” so people can enjoy their food on Portobello beach. This year was looking like a really exciting year but a lot of the things we had lined up had to be cancelled so let’s see what 2021 brings.
BBC2’S Great British Menu is available to watch on BBC iplayer.