GILLY OF THE COOK'S PLACE
For some time now we’ve wanted to catch up with Gilly (first name only – everyone knows Gilly!) of The Cook’s Place, and it’s only been at her courses or Chef and Producers Tables that we’ve been able to be in her good company, and sit in awe of this busy and super talented woman’s skills. Oh, and we’ve enjoyed some pretty amazing food for supper at those Tables at same time too!
Luckily enough we found a small gap in Gilly’s diary in between courses and events at The Cook’s Place and her regular slots at the Great Yorkshire Show to catch up and chat all things food. For those that haven’t visited The Cook’s Place in Malton, labelled Yorkshire’s foodie capital, it really is a must visit. Whether you go for a chilled and relaxed evening at the Chef’s Table and watch Gilly and the invited chefs perform their magic, or you visit to learn how to cook with confidence, there’s something that both beginners and professionals can appreciate and learn from.
The day we caught up with Gilly at The Cook’s Place we had just missed out on a weekly cooking session with the young adults from Ryedale Special Families, a local charity that supports families with children and young adults with disabilities, illness and additional needs in our local area, and which also happens to be our YRO Charity of the Year. They had spent the morning under the tuition of Rachel and were mastering techniques that even the most confident cook may wobble with!
Gilly’s own early connections with food where when there was a huge rise in convenience foods being more readily available and food from a packet was seen as sought after. Gilly’s mother was very much open to the new, and style was considered first - substance later! Luckily, Gilly’s Grandma P had spent her life in the kitchen cooking for the family and farm workers and she showed Gilly how to love and appreciate good food, along with a great work ethic, and how to make a meal out of something not very much!
A mix of dyslexia and hatred of school put Gilly on a foodie career path that she’s never strayed from, and after failing her ‘A’ levels she was sent to Eggleston Hall in Teesdale where amongst many other practical qualifications she achieved The Cordon Bleu Diploma, loving every moment of her time there. After a second year of teaching at the college she was offered a job in the Director’s Dining Room at Saab Scania in Sweden. An opportunity that only strengthened her passion for food.
Fast forward a few years and Gilly arrived at the prestigious Swinton Cookery School where she had the pleasure of 13 years working with the world-renowned British chef (and now author), Rosemary Shrager, currently ‘Cooking with the Stars’ on our screens. Gilly named Rosemary as her personal food hero, and one of many (it felt treacherous for her to name just the one!). Gilly shared that if you can work for Rosemary as long as she did, you can achieve anything. So supportive of Gilly’s rise and career, and Gilly just loves her to bits!
Gilly had already tempted us with her other food heroes, so we just had to know who else had made the list! Professionally, it had to be Anton Mossiman, who Gilly proclaims as the god of fine food, and for home cooking it had to be Josceline Dimbelby, award winning cookery writer and food goddess of the 80’s, and someone who Gilly has had the great pleasure of cooking for.
This led us to chat about the recipe book of choice for Gilly, and in hindsight we could have guessed it! It was the Penguin Cordon Bleu cookery book, written by Rosemary Hume and Muriel Downes back in 1964. Accepted as the hallmark of culinary perfection, this handbook shares the highest standard of European cooking with a French twist. With three copies (yes, three!) in her possession, it’s the copy with the notes in the margin and dog-eared pages that she would rescue from the flames of a fire! Right answer, Gilly.
With what we would hope would be a sophisticated palate we did wonder what would be Gilly’s guilty pleasure, and were very much surprised to find out that it was digestive biscuits with butter and marmalade! Though she did assure us that the biscuits had to be McVities!
To be fair to Gilly, she does indeed have standards – her signature dish isn’t the Yorkshire Pudding recipe created in 1747 by Hannah Glasse, as depicted in a wall mural in Malton (though she does get asked to recreate it often), but it is a dish that uses the very best of Yorkshire ingredients - Gilly’s very own Mac & Cheese. The recipe brings together pasta from our good friends at The Yorkshire Pasta Company, lobster from Whitby Lobster Hatchery, Endeavour Cheese (washed in Mason’s Yorkshire Tea Gin, no less), and our very own Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil. We’re honoured to be in such a listing!
Indeed, it’s very much Yorkshire and its folk that makes Gilly feel proud. The way the people work together to support each other. The independent food and drink community, in particular, is passionate about joining forces to share the amazing artisanal food and drink the county has to offer. You just don’t seem to experience that fierce alliance out of Yorkshire, it seems.
Though surprisingly it’s not Yorkshire where Gilly has experienced her ultimate foodie experience - she had to travel all the way to the US for it. For a good number of years, she had wanted to go to elBulli in Spain after watching Katie Button’s career progress from front of house to kitchen at this world-renowned restaurant, but this was not meant to be. However, a few years ago, when Gilly was working in North Carolina, a friend surprised her with a visit to Curate Bar de Tapas, where Katie had returned to her roots. A very casual experience, but sublime one, and one to be savoured.
We could have chatted to Gilly all day long, especially in the ‘wow’ surroundings of The Cook’s Place – a feast to all the senses. It took all our strength to not pop on a stool around the island, and help Gilly prep for the famous Mac & Cheese! Now, there’s a hint…
RASPBERRY GAZPACHO WITH OLIVE STICKS
As part of our Yorkshire Stories series, Gilly has created two brand new recipes for us, the first being Raspberry Gazpacho with Olive Sticks. The perfect get ahead recipe for the summer. Find this tasty recipe here.
KALE & CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH PICKLED RED ONIONS
The second, a Kale and Cauliflower Salad with Pickled Red Onions. This salad shows off our seasonal British vegetables. Make it truly local with a crumbling of Shepherds Purse Harrogate Blue cheese. Serve warm or cold. Find the recipe here.