Interview: Scott Paton on cooking with the world’s best produce at Àclèaf
Scott Paton left school at 16 knowing that further education wasn’t the direction for him. Instead, he found his place in the kitchen, progressing quickly through the ranks before landing his first head chef role at The Horn of Plenty in Tavistock in 2011.
Paton later joined Boringdon Hall Hotel & Spa in Plymouth, where he helped earn three AA Rosettes for the Gallery Restaurant within six months. In 2020, he opened Àclèaf, where his modern British tasting menus are built around carefully sourced local ingredients and the changing seasons. Three years later, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star.
In our interview, Paton reflects on the career that brought him to Àclèaf, the ideas that shape his menus and what it takes to lead a Michelin-starred kitchen.
When did you first fall in love with cooking?
It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment. I think, as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to make something nice for my family to eat. Maybe as early as six or seven.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Truth with elegance. Simple, refined cookery using the world’s best ingredients.
What is your culinary vision for the menu at Àclèaf?
To be serving our guests with the most amazing produce, cooked with sympathy and allowing it to shine.
Do you have a favourite dish on the menu?
It’s really hard to say, because a menu is so personal. I adore our classic crab dish, which has stayed on the menu for years. But it’s also really exciting when we have a new dish with a new ingredient that just works, and everything clicks.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your career?
This too shall pass.
What are the biggest challenges faced by the hospitality sector at the moment and how are you tackling them?
Staffing and skills. Too many people have forgotten that the biggest teacher of experience is time. And, of course, there’s the challenge of profitability, but for me it all comes back to teamwork and the whole team knowing when it’s time to knuckle down for the bigger picture, or when there is room for extra innovation and progress.
Which chefs have inspired you?
I’m inspired by so many chefs, and that’s not always because I think they are great. Sometimes I just love seeing a chef’s passion and individuality come through in the food. They are the tastiest dishes, right?
What is your approach to sustainability in your cooking?
It’s at the forefront, for sure. I’m not a chef who will pigeonhole the team into only using certain ingredients, but of course items do have to be responsibly sourced.
What would you like your next project to be?
My project at the moment is the development of the teams around me, making sure they are growing and building their toolkits.
What is your favourite dish, and who cooks it?
My wife’s lasagne. No brainer.
