Young Masterchef of the year winner is new Head Chef at The Royal Hotel

March 31, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

A winner of the prestigious ‘Young Great British MasterChef of the Year’ award has joined the Royal Hotel in Southend as Head Chef.  Harry Lumsdon, has relocated to Essex to join the Royal from Hertfordshire where he had been Head Chef at an award winning and AA recommended restaurant.

This young chef learnt his skills and honed his capabilities in highly rated venues having spent his career in 2 and 3 Rosette rated and 1 and 2 Michelin starred restaurants.

He was named Young Great British MasterChef of the Year in 2016 when still in his early twenties.  From an initial list of contenders numbering thousands, he won through to battle against eight other chefs in a final round cook-off at Westminster Kingsway, a catering college in London.  The event was organised by the Master Chefs of Great Britain Association, which regularly holds contests that recognise great chefs.

Harry, who has been joined by his former Sous Chef (number two) from Hertfordshire, intends to reinvigorate the food offering with more varied and innovative dishes that will sit alongside traditional ‘crowd pleaser’ favourites. It is a “fun dining” concept as opposed to “fine dining”, excellent food served in great but informal surroundings. Harry intends to include as much local produce as possible.

Harry has already launched different menus and The Royal reintroduced the Thursday special set menu complete with a half bottle of wine per head included in the price.  By May the food offering will be fully redesigned to bring in seasonal menus that will really have a broad appeal; from those who just want to pop in for a quick bite lunchtime to those who desire a more leisurely eating experience accompanied by an excellent drinks list. 

The Royal’s management is truly excited to have attracted someone of Harry’s exceptional experience and skills. “This is wonderful appointment. You can feel his passion for excellent cooking from the moment you start talking to him.  His creativity and enthusiasm will give the restaurant a real shot in the arm and, we believe, he will create an outstanding level of dining experience that will put The Royal Hotel on Essex’s gastronomic map.”   

Says Harry “The Royal presents a great opportunity for me to showcase my cooking; the venue is unique to the area with a beautiful first floor restaurant. 

“I am in the process of creating new menus across the board and wherever possible I am determined to source local produce. Looking out the Royal’s windows to the Thames Estuary, for example, I can see one local source that I never had the benefit of in St Albans and I intend to take every advantage of that.”

Terry Garrett, one of the owners, added, “This is a genuine milestone for us.  It is a terrifically exciting appointment.  We are talking about a new kitchen team, new menus but, of course, we still have the great cocktails and extensive range of spirits and wines that the Royal’s bars have become famous for.  

“In fact we have recently extended our drink offering by introducing a range of delicious draught beers from Shepheard Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer from Kent.  We have also put in a fabulous new bar in the first floor so we can now offer our full range of cocktails on the main restaurant floor as well as the cocktail bar.  It certainly adds something to our monthly comedy nights where ‘The Comedy Club’ performs every month.  It’s always a sell out.”

You can find The Royal Hotel at 1 High Street, Southend. Essex. Tel 01702 899 222