Chef who rubs shoulders with stars opens his eatery
Thom, who worked with Jack Whitehall, runs the Flintlock – which has already had rave reviews
TALENTED chef Thom Bateman has opened his own restaurant – and it is already receiving rave reviews.
The 34-year-old has gone into business with his brother Ed and opened The Flintlock at the former Castros in Cheddleton.
Thom, who has nearly 19,000 followers on Instagram where he shares recipes and home cooking tips, has had a new kitchen fitted at the venue.
But due to a limited budget he did most of the DIY and decorating himself during lockdown.
The restaurant opened its doors to the public at the weekend and diners were very impressed with the food and service.
Thom, aged 34, said: “I had just taken the keys when we went into lockdown. I set about renovating the place, pretty much single handedly with a very limited budget. I knew I was not going to be able to afford tradespeople because I needed a new kitchen.
“I did the painting and a lot of DIY myself, even sleeping on the floor upstairs at some stages to try and get it done.”
Thom worked at the venue as a chef at Castros before he left and went to work for the family agricultural engineering business behind the restaurant for 11 years. He moved to Yorkshire to live with his partner a few years ago but he and his family have now returned to the Moorlands.
The dad-of-one, said: “I came back to cheffing. It all kicked off by starting my Instagram account, @bboxfood, and I have nearly 19,000 followers including Gordon Ramsay and Tom Kitchin.
“I recently started working with Jack Whitehall, his brother Barney and friend Marcus on Foodslut.
“We have set about creating a food brand and have a residency at The Dixon Hotel in London.”
The Flintlock is open Wednesday to Saturday from 5.30pm to 9pm and from 12noon to 3.30pm on Sunday.
The A La Carte menu, from Wednesday to Saturday, includes mouthwatering mains such as dry aged Staffordshire sirloin, herb fed chicken, duck breast, gnocchi, hake, and celeriac and wild mushroom wellington.
And diners can have two or three courses for the Sunday lunch menu which offers dry aged Staffordshire beef, rolled pork belly and English brie and leek pie as mains.
The restaurant has 54 covers and Thom and his team are ‘very particular’ about wiping down the tables and social distancing.
Thom said: “We source everything as locally as we can. We use a butcher from Dunwood Farm in Longsdon. I go and handpick the beef. There is a specific drying regime to make sure it is up to scratch.
“We do a kitchen menu Wednesday to Friday which is a more affordable version of our A La Carte menu. It is of the same standard but we use more economical ingredients.
“There is a costing model in place which is consistent. We always offer a fair and reflective price for the ingredients and the technique required to produce the meals. It is absolutely critical for what we do. We embrace the community and never turn them away with extortionate prices.
“Weekends are pretty stacked until late October but we have tables on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“We will do a seasonal December menu which will be a set course. “We believe in what we do.”
The restaurant has 16 including seven full-time.
Thom added: “There is myself and three other chefs in the kitchen. There is a vast amount of experience.
“I have known (head chef) Chris Rooney, my right hand man, for a good number of years. He is renowned as one of the best chefs in the area.”
Chris, aged 46, of Leek, said: “I have been a chef for more than 30 staff years. We have known each other a long time. Thom and I both share the same principles. This is the sort of food I love creating.”
Thom’s mum Jane Bateman, who is general manager at the restaurant, said: “We could not have asked for a better opening.
“All the staff have really stepped up to the training and have taken on board everything we have asked them to. I just feel very blessed with who we have managed to employ.
“Thom and I are both foodies. Food is a very big part of our family life.”
Bar manager Philip Wade, aged 26, of Cheadle, said: “Thom is great to work for. He treats us like family and is very approachable.
“My family came on Thursday for a soft opening and they said it was the best steak they have ever had.”
Steve and Lynne Bennett, of Biddulph Moor, enjoyed their meal at the restaurant on Sunday.
Steve, aged 70, said: “We will be coming back. It was really good food and was good value for money.”
Lynne, aged 67, was impressed by the ‘little twists.’ She added: “The bacon jam with the chicken liver parfait was a fabulous twist. We really enjoyed our dining experience.”
Claire Booth, aged 47, of Dilhorne, added: “The meal was fantastic. We could not fault it. It was beautiful food and wine.”
Tobookatablegotoreservations@ theflintlockcheddleton.co.uk