The Mariners was our first stop on our whirlwind adventure, feasting on everything from Cornish rarebit, to fried buttermilk chicken with chipotle mayonnaise – not forgetting of course the oyster platter, short rib of beef and potted duck liver paté.
John and Paul have been friends since the pair both worked under Marcus Wareing at Petrus. And having worked at No. 6. since 2006, setting up Mahé together seemed an obvious decision for the pair.Named after the island in the Seychelles were Paul’s mum is from, Mahé is unlike any cookery school I’ve seen.
After a breakfast of berries, yoghurt, pastries and seriously good coffee, we have a peek inside the kitchen of No. 6 where Chris McClurg and his team are already hard at work setting up for lunch service, and then we’re whisked upstairs to where Mahé is located. John has been working in the kitchens of some of the UK’s best restaurants for nearly two decades, and helped No. 6. gain its Michelin-starred status in 2013
Pasta making was followed by mastering how to spatchcock a chicken, something I did with great delight - realising quickly that it could be a better stress-reliever than any exercise class. This was to become a piri-piri traybake with fresh tomatoes, potatoes and onions, and for dessert gloriously oozing melt in the middle chocolate fondant puds with summer berry Chantilly cream.
Food aside, the star of the show was of course John. Despite being used to the fast-paced environment of a working kitchen, John was incredibly patient with us all as we got to grip with new skills and recipes.