Simon Jewitt, a longstanding member of the Norse team, was appointed head chef of the Nordic inspired restaurant which has been featured in both the Michelin Guide UK and the Good Food Guide last year.

Born in Harrogate, Simon began his career in France before developing his skills at independent hotels and restaurants across Yorkshire. When owner Paul Rawlinson launched his innovative Nordic influenced dining concept in the premises of his café, Baltzersen’s, Simon joined the team as sous chef soon after and has played a proactive role in the development of the restaurant’s distinctive locally sourced dishes.

Last year it was announced that Simon would be taking over Paul to build upon his success and drive the niche restaurant forward.

The Staff Canteen caught up with Simon to find out more about his decision to solely serve tasting menus, why it’s important to respect each other in the kitchen and the opening of their new home next month.

Had you always wanted to work in the industry?

From a young age I cooked with my mum at home and really enjoyed it. It was a natural path for me to take. In my eyes a job shouldn’t feel like a job, for me I get to do something I enjoy every day.

You began your career in France, what did you learn from your time over there that you still use today?

I went to France with a group of students from my college. In retrospect I was really young when I went over there, especially since I ended up working in a restaurant miles away from the rest of the group. During my time there I learnt how to get my head down and work long days.

Despite working in kitchens since the age of fifteen I’d never known the number of hours that went into creating amazing dishes; it set a good precedent for the rest of my career. I also saw produce that I’d never seen or eaten before, which made it even more of an eye-opening experience.

You were promoted to head chef at Norse last summer, how’s it going?

I’m really enjoying being head chef at Norse. The team are really passionate and forward-thinking. We have a very different way of working to kitchens I’ve worked at in the past, there’s no shouting or humiliating. It’s important to have respect and a friendly atmosphere in the kitchen as it improves our creativity and allows us to improve on ideas.

What have you brought to Norse since being promoted to head chef?

Taking over the kitchen at Norse was pretty straight forward as I’d been part of the team for over a year already and things were set up well. Since then I’ve been working with some new suppliers such as Farmison & Co. just outside of Ripon and Ken Holland who has an allotment up in Northumberland.

When you took over the reins of the kitchen did you keep the menu the same or try to put your own spin on the dishes?

Shortly after I took over we decided to change from our a la carte and seven course tasting menu to only offering a tasting menu, but this time with either 8 or 4 courses. We collect feedback in house as well as keeping an eye on online reviews which suggested that our guests were enjoying the tasting menu more than the a la carte.

This gave us a lot more scope with dishes and the option to add synchronicity between courses. We’ve recently changed the format again to a slightly different tasting menu and a shorter version of it. We offer a range of ‘snacks’ as part of the menus and this new format includes more of these small bites that deliver big flavours and give us even more chance to use seasonal produce.

Where did your passion for Nordic cuisine come from?

I’ve always kept my finger on the pulse when it comes to most types of cuisine. When ‘Nordic cuisine’ first came into the limelight it was something that really stood out for me. I spent a fortune on books and going to different restaurants in aid of teaching myself about it – it was fascinating.

When I was offered the chance to come and work at Norse, where our owner Paul is of Norwegian heritage, it was a great way to use the knowledge I had already built, while learning even more about a cuisine that truly interested me.

Nordic cuisine has become quite popular in recent years how do you make sure your dishes at Norse stand out?

At Norse we use loads of different techniques, many inspired from the Nordic countries. I’ve got a section in the kitchen dedicated to ferments and pickles. We usually have around 60 items preserved here. We also use a lot of drying/dehydrating, smoking and salting as well.

Being situated in the UK, how do you stay true to Scandinavian culture?

When it comes to ingredients, in the UK we actually have a lot in common with the Scandinavian countries. When there are products that are only available in Nordic regions, we try and find a UK alternative where possible. We prefer to use very local suppliers. This means trying to source produce within a 50 mile radius of the restaurant, including regular forages in the woods not far from my house.

How often do you change the menus?

We like to change the menu reasonably regularly, so each time our guests visit they get to try something different and new. Sometimes we can change as many as three dishes a week depending on the season.

How is your Kickstarter campaign to find Norse a new home in Harrogate going?

I am very pleased with how well the Kickstarter to move the restaurant to a new location has gone – we reached the target in just four days! We have secured an amazing space not far from the Valley Gardens in Harrogate and are hoping to open the doors at the beginning of April.

What are your plans for the restaurant once you find a new home for Norse?

The new restaurant will provide us with a lot more space for prep and service, rather than the situation we are currently in where we have to move our kitchen from our prep room downstairs, to the service kitchen we share with the café, Baltzersen’s. Having a space of our own means we’ll also be offering a lunch service. There will be more space for us to expand our preservation and fermentation stock too. 

>>> Read more in the Menu Watch series here