James Mearing is Executive Head Chef at Cromlix in Dunblane, Scotland, where he oversees the hotel’s two recently opened dining concepts.

In June, the property introduced Cradle, an intimate 16-seat restaurant centred on a highly seasonal tasting menu drawing from the estate’s kitchen garden and surrounding woodlands, alongside The Garden Room, a 65-seat bistro housed within a new glass-fronted extension incorporating the original Victorian garden wall.

Mearing joined Cromlix following his tenure as Executive Chef at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel in Dorset, where he maintained three AA Rosettes. His career has also included roles at Michelin-starred The Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds, The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Lainston House in Hampshire and Fawsley Hall in Northampton.

In our interview, Mearing discusses his culinary approach across the property, working with produce from the Cromlix estate and developing menus around the changing seasons.

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When did you first fall in love with cooking?

I first fell in love with cooking thanks to my family and was fortunate to have positive exposure from a young age. My grandma was an incredible cook and that made a great impression on me. My dad made sure there was a home-cooked meal every day and established some real family favourites. And my mum, who actually studied catering at college, loved hosting dinner parties for friends and family.

How would you describe your culinary style?

I like to embrace the classics and flavour pairings that people know and love, and present them in a modern way. My culinary style is now very much focused around respecting the produce and letting fantastic ingredients shine.

What is your culinary vision for the menu at Cradle?

My vision here is to create a guest experience that is aligned with our ethos, fitting the setting of this beautiful, historic Scottish country home. We look to nature in everything we do, from interiors and wellness to events. With dining, I’m aiming to showcase the very best of the Scottish larder – which starts with some of the produce we grow in our kitchen garden and forage from our beautiful estate.

Do you have a favourite dish on the menu?

That can be a bit like trying to choose your favourite child! I would certainly say there are some dishes that hold a real presence on the menu and portray our guest experience more than others. Our first course of herb sorbet with gooseberry amazake and foraged wood sorrel is a great expression of the Cradle experience. It uses amazing, seasonal produce from our estate, shows great restraint and is very understated, yet delivers an incredible burst of fresh flavours.

The St Bride’s duck paired with plum is somewhat of a signature dish for me, and a particular favourite. We receive these incredible birds from their farm and utilise the whole carcass to create a great dish with roasted plums that showcases the amazing ingredients we have on our doorstep.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your career?

That less is more. As you develop and mature in your cooking you understand restraint and the importance of learning what not to add. This goes hand in hand with the ethos at Cromlix where we are trying to create a guest experience based around incredible produce.

What are the biggest challenges faced by the hospitality sector at the moment, and how are you tackling them?

One of the biggest challenges is staffing, and bringing on the next generation of talented people. We have taken great strides at Cromlix to continually improve our staff welfare, and I have certainly seen a huge amount of positive change in my time here. I want the kitchen to be a centre of learning and development for our chefs, and to inspire them to go on to do great things in their careers.

Which chefs have inspired you? 

My earliest inspiration was the Roca brothers in Girona. At a stage where I was just beginning my journey, to see what they were creating absolutely blew me away!

What is your approach to sustainability in your cooking? 

I focus on using as many ingredients from our gardens and estate as possible, and on techniques that get the most out of all the ingredients we use. We also feature many preservation methods to avoid wasting anything, so the shelves in the kitchen are filled with kombuchas, ferments and cheong syrups to utilise throughout the year.

What would you like your next project to be? 

We have just opened two new restaurants at the property and installed a new state-of-the-art kitchen and I am instrumental in helping to shape all of those. Cradle offers the best from the Cromlix estate and the great Scottish larder, while The Garden Room is a modern bistro serving sharing platters, grills and family-friendly options.

As well as that, I’m overseeing The Glasshouse which is our dedicated afternoon tea and events space, as well as all the event dining we do at the hotel for weddings, celebrations and corporate packages. So that’s keeping me busy. I am really looking to build something very special here.

What is your favourite dish, and who cooks it? 

Very tough question! My wife’s fajitas would be up there. Duck by Gareth Ward is incredible, as is the whole menu at Ynyshir. Also, pretty much anything cooked by Adam Byatt.