IN PROFILE
At Palé Hall Hotel in Gwynedd, head chef Gareth Stevenson has gained acclaim both for his imaginative use of local ingredients and for his environmental credentials
On the edge of Snowdonia National Park stands a grand Victorian building on the privately owned Palé Estate. It’s called Palé Hall Hotel, and it’s where some of Wales’s most exciting cooking is currently taking place. Taking inspiration from the country’s rich natural larder, head chef Gareth Stevenson produces complex, contemporary dishes such as Welsh black ox cheek, decorously layered with fudgy Jerusalem artichokes, miso and mandarin.
Stevenson is one of a growing number of young chefs revitalising the food scene in Wales, plucking ingredients from land and sea and incorporating them into fresh, innovative dishes. His ambitious vision has already helped Palé Hall earn a Michelin Green Star — awarded to restaurants that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to be sustainable. The 1920s hydro-electric power generator that keeps Palé Hall running is a testament to that, but Stevenson’s dedication to sustainability runs deeper than turning rainwater into renewable energy.
“We produce our own electricity and we grow our own stuff in the gardens and the orchard, but it’s not just about that,” says Stevenson. “Even outside of the food, everything has to meet a specific standard. Even the front-of-house uniform is made with partially recycled plastics.”
Stevenson’s career has seen him cross paths with a constellation of culinary stars, including chef Michael Caines at his Canterbury restaurant Michael Caines, and Raymond Blanc, at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, in Oxfordshire. In 2011, he headed to London to take up the position of demi chef de partie at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze. Those experiences introduced Stevenson to the demands of a high-end kitchen, but they also led him to take an interest in mental and physical welfare within the hospitality industry. “When I started my first full-time job, we were pulling 90- to 115-hour weeks,” he says. “I made sure with Palé that I went out of my way to give the kitchen team a better worklife balance.”
In Palé Hall’s Henry Robertson Dining Room —a light and elegant room with an ornate ceiling and a marble fireplace — Stevenson and his team serve three menus: a five-course, an eight-course and a casual dining option. “We follow the seasons and speak to our producers and suppliers and develop dishes based on their experiences,” he explains. “Seasonality and locality are the two main driving points — and it’s my jo
