Beginning as an apprentice at Deer Park Country House and honing his skills under high-profile mentors like Michael Caines at Lympstone Manor, Devon-born talent Lewis now serves as sous chef under Liam Finnegan.
Early Fascination, Inspiration and Drive
Having always wanted to be a chef, Lewis has been fascinated by food science and recipes since childhood, citing Heston Blumenthal as an early inspiration as well as Devon’s Michael Caines as a key local influence on him.
Lewis has also been inspired by his own personal experience navigating severe food allergies, which often left him and his family unable to dine at restaurants due to cross contamination risks. Far from being held back by this, it only made Lewis more determined to succeed as a chef, with a dream of creating an inclusive dining environment where all guests can feel completely safe and comfortable.
Telling a Story Through Food
Cooking food that tells a story is something that is important to Lewis. He strives to highlight the journey of his food from the source to the plate, with the hope that guests enjoy and understand the reason behind every ingredient.
Lewis describes his signature style as ingredient led and defined by seasonality. His time at Ashford Castle has given him a great passion for produce from the west coast of Ireland, with many of the ingredients in his final menu being either grown in the castle estate’s kitchen garden or from small independent producers in Ireland. The beetroot featured in his starter is grown in the kitchen garden alongside the turnips he’ll be using, with Irish wasabi from a local grower in Co. Cork. His venison main course includes foraged wild juniper and elderberries from the estate too. While the crab apples used in his dessert come from the estate’s trees.
Reflecting on the Journey
Having faced health challenges this year, Lewis has taken some time to reflect on his career and focus on how to become the chef that his younger self once dreamed of being. He sees entering YNCOTY as part of this journey to become the best version of himself and says winning would be a pinnacle moment. He’s keen to advise other young chefs to enter competitions too, highlighting how competitions teach you so much, alongside being great for networking and building your name as a chef.