It was a spell in Uganda which opened Johnnie Crowe’s eyes to his desire for a career in hospitality.
From taking shifts in pub kitchens, Johnnie got his grounding at Michelin-starredHarwood Arms under Alex Harper, as well as a spell with Jack Cashmore at Anglo.
He then went it alone, with business partners Luke Wasserman and Toby Neill, who combined to open Restaurant St Barts in Farringdon in October 2022.
Two years on, they hold both a Michelin star and Michelin green star, a testament to the sustainable practices they use in championing UK produce.
“I've always been into cooking,” said executive head chef Johnnie.
“I was always going to do something with my hands. It was always going to be something either like a butcher or a baker or chef or something like that. But in and around food.
“My grandmother was a very good cook and my mum and dad love food. It's in our family, like a passion. My mum is a good cook and likes to sort of experiment and do nice family cooking. So we always ate really nice food.
“It was something that I really latched onto as I got a little bit older. You go away for uni and have to cook for yourself. It was actually something that I really enjoyed. I'd sort of spend any money I had on nice produce and going to butchers and things like that.
“I think it was just always in my blood, that cooking side of things and creating stuff, even though maybe I wasn't very good at it to begin with! But that sort of creation was always there.”
Credit: Steven Joyce
He added: “I didn't maybe go the traditional route into cooking. I went to university up in Newcastle, but kind of knew that I didn't want to get into academics then. So I started working in a few kitchens in my holidays when I had time. I actually then went to Uganda and worked at a safari lodge for half a year.
“I definitely knew it was something for me when I did that.
“Then I came back to London and started working in pubs, which I did for quite a while before going to the Harwood Arms in 2015 to sort of properly learn the trade.
“I spent best part of the year at the Harwood Arms under Alex Harper, who was a pretty inspirational team leader, very much in the trenches with you. I learned a hell of a lot from him.
“I'm still in contact with that whole group of people. It was a really small team doing quite a lot of covers and quite high-end food. It was lots of hours and hard work, but a really exciting time to be in that kitchen.”
Johnnie continued: “I did some time at Anglo under Jack Cashmore when he was there in the early, early days. In that kitchen they were really pushing the boundaries and Jack had just been at In De Wulf and Sat Bains.
“The Harwood Arms was incredible food, but it showed me a different side to cooking and experimentally where you can go, different flavours and different combinations, things you wouldn't necessarily think went together that can go together.
“After working at Anglo, I went out with my two business partners and I had a long period of time cooking in kitchens on my own. I think that self-taught side of it really allowed me to open my eyes as to what my sort of style was and what I really wanted to do in cooking.”
Quick recognition
Johnnie initially operated pop-ups and opened Nest in Shoreditch, before his standout venture at St Barts, which quickly received acclaim.
While the décor and layout looks very Scandinavia-inspired, the actual furniture is made using British suppliers, while there is a UK map on the wall showing where ingredients have been sourced from.
“St Barts is a UK ingredient-based led restaurant, strictly UK,” explained Johnnie.
“It's about celebrating farmers and fishermen in the UK and basically trying to showcase the produce that you can get in the UK nowadays.
“We’ve got some amazing farmers doing amazing things. We have such bountiful sea and fishing practices which are really sustainable and farmers growing and maintaining stocks on amazing produce across the country.”
He added: “I'm doing a lot of research into where our food comes from and the base of the product that we're getting.
“I think it's a massive mountain to climb in terms of growing your own produce within the city of London. Our main objective here is making those connections with people, growing the connections and building on that.”
St Barts had not even been open a year before it was awarded a Michelin star.
And, as Johnnie explains, it immediately transformed the potential of the restaurant.
“It was massively rewarding. I personally felt like it was sort of the start,” he said.
“I can't thank Michelin enough for allowing the restaurant to be viewed by more chefs. It really helped us to gain traction.
“Winning the star in six months, I've got to say it was a bit of a surprise. An amazing surprise.
“I'd never thought of it too much in my career. I went to the Harwood Arms, but that was more because I really respected the cooking that was going on there. I didn't go because it had a star or anything.
“I'd always sort of focused on the business and the restaurant just being as good as I thought it could be. So when it did come, I was actually just very pleased. I think it is a really nice bit of recognition that you don't often get being a chef. You go through the whole career just sort of walking home at night.
“Then getting the green star I almost felt was just as good. We'd worked really hard on being sustainable and at a really high level. Getting that kind of recognition for work that doesn't often get seen by anyone was really special.
“The ability that Michelin gives you to attract great staff is huge. It's massive for the business. It gets you seen by so many young chefs who are trying to make their way.”
Credit: Steven Joyce
Only the start
And Johnnie insists there is plenty still to come.
“I think the biggest motivator for me is the project as a whole,” he said.
“I see us as 30 per cent of the way through the journey here.
“The driving factor for me has always been the produce. One of the best things about being a chef is that you get to handle incredible stuff day-to-day. It's exciting.
“There's so much more to explore as well. We’re just sort of scratching the surface of what's being done in the UK at the moment.
“So it’s really making those connections with other people who are passionate about what they do.”
In these challenging times…
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
