The Scottish Chefs Conference, Demonstrator Chefs - Clare Smyth

The Scottish Chefs Conference is a highly anticipated annual event. This year celebrates it’s 10th anniversary, which is reflected in the line up of demonstrator chefs. Yesterday, we kicked off with Tom Kitchin, today we are speaking to chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Clare Smyth, about her involvement with the conference. 

Clare Smyth began her career as an apprentice at Grayshott Hall Spa Hotel in Surrey. Shortly after graduating from Highbury College in Portsmouth, Clare worked as a commis chef Terrance Conran’s restaurant, Bibendum, in London.

For six months, Clare worked for a party catering company in Sydney, Australia, who helped to prepare for the 2000 Olympics. Upon her return, Clare started as a sous chef at Cornwall’s St Enedoc Hotel, ultimately progressing to head chef. Where she was awareded Young Cornish Fish Chef of the Year.

>> Watch: Clare Smyth as our featured chef

In 2002, Clare joined Restaurant Gordon Ramsay as chef de partie. Within three years, Clare was appointed to senior sous chef. In 2005, Clare staged at some of the world’s top restaurants such as The French Laundry in California and Per Se in New York, before working in France as a private chef. 

This added experience ensured that, upon her return to London in 2007, Clare would rise to the top and was appointed as head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, making her the first female chef to run a three-starred Michelin restaurant.

Since then, Clare has been named Chef of the Year in the Good Food Guide 2013, and was awarded an MBE for her serviced to the industry. In this year’s Good Food Guide of the UK, Clare was awarded full marks, proving that she is top of her game.

>> Read: Gordon Ramsay and Clare Smyth announce new venture

Why did you want to be a part of this year’s Scottish Chef’s Conference?

I guess it’s really nice to be able to do things like this. I think it’s good to be able to put something back into the industry. It’s also enjoyable to go to an event somewhere different, as we’re not all just London-based chefs! Up and down the country we’ve got a network of fantastic chefs, and many of our best restaurants aren’t in London anymore, they’re throughout the country and in Scotland. So it’s nice to share that and inspire people and to get those chefs putting back into the industry.

Do you know what you’re going to be cooking yet?

I’m going to be doing something that is quite fitting for Scotland and is one of my signature dishes – Isle of Gigha halibut. I love this product, I think I’m one of the only people using it in London. It’s quite an expensive product but it’s all organically farmed halibut from that Isle – it’s the best I’ve ever seen.

Has anything ever drastically gone wrong during a demonstration?

No, but anything can go wrong at any minute when you’re doing these things but I’ve not had any really bad instances or burnt myself or anything.