Where the Chefs Eat: Marcus Wareing shares his favourite UK restaurants

Marcus Wareing recently took to Instagram to announce to the world that this Christmas will be his last at The Berkeley Hotel, home to his Michelin-starred restaurant, Marcus. After 20 years at the helm of one of the capital’s most prestigious fine dining restaurants, he is ready for a change. “This Christmas is the end of the Berkeley for me,” he says, “so I’ll be at work there on Christmas Day and then at home with family, but I’ll leave that to [my wife], Jane. I’ve got a job to do, but it’s the last one for me.” I ask him if the move is an emotional one. He tells me it’s anything but. “It’s a celebration,” he enthuses. “There was an opportunity to continue in the hotel, but I chose not to do that because fine dining, for me, is something I’ve done. I’ve got a new project on the horizon for 2024 and beyond, and I want to invest in new chefs now. I’ve done fine dining for 37 years, and I have run Marcus for 20 years. I want more challenges in life and kitchens are quiet places these days.”

We talk specifically of Christmas, not only because the festive season fast approaches when we speak, but also because Marcus has a brand new show coming out in December, Marcus Wareing at Christmas, aimed at helping take the stress and strain out of the yuletide season. It’s the first show of its kind for Marcus, and he seems genuinely excited about it. “The thing I love about [the show] is that Christmas can be really stressful for a lot of people and, for me, this is about taking away the fear of the big events that we celebrate with lots of people through the holidays.” He recognises that particularly now, “the economy is tough and things are tight, but there are ways to get around that.” Most importantly, he tells me, you need to prep and prepare. “We’ve all seen so many shows about Christmas with all the lovey-dovey stuff, but this show is about great food, simple food, family food. I want to help people achieve their goals rather than making it complicated because it can be very overwhelming.” Try and keep things in perspective, he insists. “We buy a chicken for a Sunday roast for six people and don’t stress, but then we buy a turkey ten times the size we need to serve the same number of people at Christmas. It just doesn’t make any sense; why do we feel we always have to buy the biggest bird on the planet?”

Marcus is, by his own admission, a turkey lover. “We always have turkey in my house at Christmas. I do love it.” Because Christmas at The Berkeley is the busiest time of year, “my own Christmas is split between the restaurant and home, but we will have a lovely breakfast as a family and open presents for a few hours and then have our Christmas lunch a bit later when I return from work.” But, he tells me, “all the preparation is done beforehand, both at home and at The Berkeley. That will make your life so much easier and, don’t forget, the shops are open between Christmas and New Year, so there’s no point in over buying and wasting so much food. Plan in advance by carefully thinking about your turkey ahead a time, how you’re going to cook it and how you are going to serve it. And, most importantly, just try to enjoy the experience. Don’t feel like you have just run a marathon to get a meal on the table to eat in half an hour or you’ll be exhausted and knackered at the end of it all.” Far from exhausted himself, Marcus may be closing his doors at the Berkeley, but he has plenty in the pipeline for 2024 and beyond. Can you tell me what you’ve got in store, I ask? “No” he laughs. “That’s for another interview.” Watch this space.

Below, Marcus shares with us his five favourite restaurants, all of which make for wonderful Christmas options if you do, in fact, decide to hang up your apron and hand the reigns over to someone else.

Bistro Vérité

Bistro Vérité is a bistro in Southport, started by Marc and Michaela Vérité, who I went to catering college with. When we left school I moved to London. He went to a country house hotel and then stayed back in Southport. It’s the most fabulous French bistro in Birkdale village; it’s warm and friendly and serves beautifully cooked food in a town not recognised for food.

Who comes here?

It’s very much a local favourite for those who want a family-run offering of unpretentious but utterly delicious food. I go just because of him whenever I’m home.

Best table in the restaurant?

It’s quite small so there aren’t any bad tables, but I like to sit in the window because this is a village so you can sit and see everyone go by.

Best time to come?

You can’t go on Sundays or Mondays as they are closed, but this is a lovely and very cosy evening spot for supper.

Dish to order?

I actually don’t order anything when I go. I just sit and get what I’m given. The food is as local as they can get it but with a Gallic theme. So, you’ll find things like Southport shrimps and Cumbrae oysters on the menu alongside classics like crispy frogs’ legs and escargot.

Moor Hall

I think Mark Birchall is one of the most talented chefs in the country and he is definitely destined to get three Michelin stars [he currently holds two]. This is about 40 minutes away from Liverpool, so I go whenever I’m back up, and I really enjoy eating his food. The menu is called a provenance menu because it’s almost entirely produce-led and created around what is available locally. It’s absolutely brilliant, and everything is so memorable. It was a flawless experience.

Who comes here?

Moor Hall is a restaurant with rooms so a lot of guests are there to eat and stay in the stunning grade-II listed building, considered one of the finest of its kind in the country. Moor Hall Restaurant has been award-winning many times over, so foodies flock here, and if you stay, you can also enjoy The Barn, Mark’s other restaurant that sits within the grounds of Moor Hall.

Best table in the restaurant?

Anyone who goes has to start in the bar. Then, they bring you into the kitchen, and you don’t realise that your first course is sitting there amongst all the greenery, so you’re looking around the kitchen, but you’re actually seeing the food you’re about to eat. Then, they take you through to the restaurant. It’s like three different stages for your meal so it’s quite an unusual experience.

When to go?

Anytime is a good time but it’s particularly lovely at Christmas with the roaring fires and frosty walks around the lake. It’s hugely popular for New Year, too.

Dish to order?

For me, great restaurants aren’t about one dish. They are about the whole experience. The menu at Moor Hall changes depending on availability and seasonality, but you can expect to see a lot of fresh produce grown in the kitchen garden, alongside local fallow deer, turbot cooked in brown butter and Isle of Mull scallops.

Gravetye Manor

I love George Blogg at Gravetye Manor. I worked there when I was younger, and I met my wife whilst there. I love country house hotels, and I think this is the second oldest in the country. But it’s all about the garden for me. This has the very best garden in the country; it has a proper wall that was brought back to life about 15 or 20 years ago, and it’s just exceptional in the way it was built. It’s so iconic. You can find every vegetable that you can imagine, and there is also an extraordinary wild meadow. The gardens wrap around the manor, and it’s a real flavour of hospitality.

Who comes here?

Gravetye is all about flawless service, and I think people who go really appreciate that. It’s full of hotel guests and those who go just to enjoy the Michelin-star delights of The Dining Room. It’s friendly and warm, but it’s not striving to be anything different. That’s what I love about it.

Best table in the restaurant?

Any table with a view of that garden!

When to go?

I go sometimes for my birthday. We go and sit in the garden and have a glass of Champagne, looking at the sun on the hillside; it’s just beautiful.

Dish to order?
The garden salad. It’s got about thirty or forty different ingredients in it. George Blogg put it on one of the shows I did years ago, and it’s mind-blowing.

Woven by Adam Smith at Cowath Park

I went recently to Cowath Park for a weekend away; Adam Smith is a fabulous chef. The previous space was very nice, but he’s reinvented himself with Woven, and the food he’s doing is outstanding. It’s got a Michelin star written all over it. The execution of the dishes is perfect, and the attention to detail is extraordinary. The name ‘Woven’ relates to the concept of food. as a tapestry. This is modern, inventive, creative cuisine in a stunning setting. Adam’s cooking is forward-thinking at the highest level, and he executes flavours that push to the maximum. Everything from the beautiful bread to the fresh carrots that are perfectly cooked and then perfectly presented: you can really identify his individual skill in each dish.

Who comes here?

Spa lovers, food lovers, and fine hotel lovers can be found at this Berkshire hot spot that is renowned for its elegance and luxuriousness.

Best table in the restaurant?

The conservatory is perfect if you are having a party or if you want a really private dining experience. Otherwise, any of the tables in Woven are excellent. You just can’t go wrong here.

When to go?

Cowath Park is wonderful all year round but this is another amazing spot at Christmas. If you’re staying there, you’ll get all the expected sherry, mince pies, roaring fires and Christmas decadence you can imagine and, if you go there just for a treat on the day with lunch, you’ll get the finest festive food.

Dish to order?
The menu is a tasting menu with wonderful wine pairings so you can just sit and enjoy being fed beautiful food, but the menu boasts some British classics such as grouse, salt-aged Yorkshire duck and Cornish turbot.

The Angel at Hetton

The Angel has chef patron Michael Wignall at the helm. It’s incredible. This is in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, near Skipton, so it’s a destination place as you’d go there specially to enjoy it. Michael is another chef cooking above the accolade and the food he produces is a lovely reflection of him being so down-to-earth.

Who comes here?

It’s very much a destination as there isn’t a lot around it so you need to plan ahead with this one and, as such, you’ll find people who have gone specially.

Best table in the restaurant?

Any table is a good table but, more importantly, try and book a room at The Angel so you can eat and enjoy the wonderful wines and make a stay of it.

When to go?

Again, there is no bad time to go. The seasonal produce in Yorkshire is exceptional and, any season, you’ll love it.

Dish to order?

Michael makes exceptional bread and there is a ‘taste of the season menu’, made daily by Michael to reflect the very finest of what is on offer locally and always fresh. It’s seasonal cooking at the top end. You’ll quickly see why he got a star.

Marcus Wareing At Christmas premieres at 7pm on Monday 4^th December on Food Network, and available to stream on discovery+.