Nathan Outlaw tells The Staff Canteen about his latest book and we have signed copies to give away!

As he releases his latest book, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, the 41 year-old chef is at a crossroads in his career.

The word of the day, he said, is balance; finding an equilibrium between his career as a chef and making the most of his life and family in Cornwall.

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So far, the multiple award-winning chef has enjoyed a successful, prosperous career.

Nathan trained under the late Peter Kromberg at the Intercontinental Hyde Park Corner. He has worked for many of the country's most renowned chefs including Gary Rhodes, Eric Chavot, Rick Stein, Paul Ripley and John Campbell. In May 2003, the chef opened his own restaurant, The Black Pig.

It was awarded a Michelin star the following year, but weighed down by the costs ensuing from being in a seasonal location, Nathan was forced to close.

He launched Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in 2007, and Nathan Outlaw Seafood Bar and Grill in 2009; the former, which relocated to Port Isaac in 2015, is still the UK’s only seafood restaurant to hold two Michelin stars, as well as four AA Rosettes. It was ranked the UK's best restaurant in the Good Food Guide in 2018 and 2019.

Nathan's multiple TV appearances include Saturday Kitchen, Great British Menu -  twice as a contestant, taking his fish course to the banquet on his second attempt in 2009  and later as a veteran judge.

The chef published his first cookbook, Nathan Outlaw’s British Seafood, in 2012, followed by Modern Seafood in 2013, Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen in 2014, Nathan Outlaw’s Seafood Kitchen in 2016 and Nathan Outlaw’s home kitchen in 2017.

The new book, he said, is something he's always wanted to do, which was to document Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. 

The book captures a year in the life of the restaurant, from suppliers and people involved in the business, with many pictures of Port Isaac and the Cornish seaside. 

"I want people who pick up the book to feel like they've been there," he said.

Recipes include signature dishes developed between 2015 and 2017, when the book was conceived.  

In his interview with The Staff Canteen, the chef explained that the book comes at a good time to illustrate where he plans on taking his career.

Having left The Mariners late last year (which has since been taken over by Paul and Emma Ainsworth), ceased working with The Capital Hotel, as well as closing his restaurant at Al Mahar in Dubai - the chef said he is simply setting his priorities straight. 

"I wanted to focus and find a bit of balance in this mad chef world, that I've probably created for myself," he joked. 

"The thing with pubs, it's a bit like having rooms, you're always on call, it's seven days a week and I like to have a couple of days off in my week." 

“After twenty odd years of working in the industry, good advice for any chef is try and find some balance to your life, because otherwise it's just a bit too full on."

As The Capital Hotel changed owners and the chef decided to end his involvement with it, he planned to leave London.

The Goring Hotel seized on the opportunity, asking him to set up a new seafood restaurant there, aside from the hotel's existing Michelin-starred restaurant. If everything goes according to schedule, Nathan said, the new venture will launch in June. 

Asked if he had any regrets, or if he could change anything about his career moving forward, the chef admitted to missing his flagship restaurant, The Black Pig, wishing he hadn't been forced to let it go. 

"I still love that restaurant," he said. "Maybe one day it'll come back, you never know." 

Looking ahead, the aim is to find better balance between his life and career. 

"You do work like crazy as a chef in your young years - I'm 41 now so over the next twenty years I can just enjoy my cooking.

Images extracted from Restaurant Nathan Outlaw (Bloomsbury Absolute, £45), out now. Photography © David Loftus