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The chef-owner of Core by Clare Smyth talks about why opening the restaurant has been her biggest challenge, and why you sometimes need to kick out great staff
I knew from the age of 14 that I wanted to be a chef. I was working in local restaurants during the school holidays for extra money. I just loved food, and I loved cooking. I love the creative side of it, and I really took to that. I had a moment where I didn’t want to do it, then I met some chefs who worked in high-end restaurants with Michelin stars. And I thought, ‘Wow, there is a career in this.’
Gordon Ramsay always said to me, ‘Focus on yourself, not on anyone else.’ I think that's an important thing for young chefs to think about. It is all about you, your reputation, your pride, your own worth. Don't be impacted or affected by what's going on around you. Hospitality is difficult, and you can get knocked. The important thing is to remain focused on yourself and make sure you perform to the best of your ability, every day. I've been fortunate to have great mentors.
I’m always looking for that new ingredient that drives me to create something new. At the moment, cuttlefish is a big thing for me. I love it and want to use it more.
When I go out to eat, I want to have a good time. It's quite simple, and it's the same for most people. At the end you want to think, ‘That was amazing and I want to come back.’ That's what I'm looking for. It can be a very simple level of food or a high-end dining experience, but I want to have a great time and really enjoy it.
I find inspiration in nature. I think about what we have around us in Britain all the time, and I'm very much inspired to find things I can use. I like to use quite humble ingredients. I like to challenge myself.
I design my own tableware and glassware. Every single thing we do at Core is the best it can be. I want customers to look at everything and think, ‘That’s cool, that’s special.’ From our bespoke uniforms to the silk pocket squares, I designed them. For me, it's about creating an identity and a DNA.
I never want to have a guest visit once. We have a lot of regular guests. I always want people to feel at home at Core. That's the most important thing to me: everybody feels comfortable dining here, and we go on these journeys together. I want to have them back time and time again.
Opening Core was my biggest challenge. There were a lot of technical difficulties, a lot of moving parts, and it takes a while to build a great team. At the beginning we were effectively a start-up. That was probably the most difficult time in my career. I've been through difficult times, but opening Core and putting everything on the line for it was tough.
Great service is a delicate balance of friendliness and formality. Our restaurant director Rob Rose always says, ‘Treat every guest like they’re your grandma. Care for them and do everything for them. You want to really spoil them.’
The media claims the tasting menu is dead. But it’s not true. We have 100 customers a day that can choose between two tasting menus or a three-course menu. And they choose a tasting menu because they want the experience. We sell very, very few three-course menus; most nights it’ll be none, but we keep the choice for our guests.
Personalisation is why we have so many regulars. Many have different menus every time they come, but they also have their own napkins. Really regular guests have their own cutlery with their names engraved. It's important that it feels like it's theirs, that they’re at home. We know their preferences, we know their likes, their dislikes. We have all the information on them. Often, they'll get to try new dishes too.
Dining is about a sense of place. I'm very proudly British, and proud of pushing British cuisine and British food in the UK. It’s very important that when people come to dine in London: they know they're eating in Britain.
To deliver everything at the top level every day is relentless. It’s busy and there’s a lot of pressure all the time, so you have to be quite intense to be able to perform. But the atmosphere in my kitchen is quiet. I don't like stress, I don't like banging or shouting. I do love to have fun, and I'm probably the biggest kid out of everyone. There’s a lot of banter because we’re all very close.
When your team members are great, sometimes you have to kick them out, and say, ‘You’ve been in too long. Go and thrive.’ Our team is continuously growing and it’s important to be able to provide opportunities. It’s so important to look after people’s careers and livelihoods – that’s part of sustainability too.
It felt like my industry picked me up and said, ‘You deserve this.’ It’s a really lovely feeling to think that people have recognised us. We’ve had so many amazing achievements during our time at Core… 10 out of 10 from the Good Food Guide; three Michelin stars; I was awarded The World’s Best Female Chef from 50 Best... We were very lucky and I'm very grateful for the recognition.
Clare’s rapid-fire responses
Favourite dish you eat at home?
Beer can chicken, on the barbecue, with a salad. A quick, simple, easy meal.
Guilty food?
Salt and vinegar crisps, or the Iberico ham ones.
What’s your motto?
Excellence is a habit, not an act.
Favourite drink?
Champagne.
Favorite food combo?
Cheese and tomato.
Favourite cookbook?
The French Laundry Cookbook.
Top restaurant in London?
The place I go to the most is Scott’s in Mayfair.
Best bar in London?
The Connaught.
And restaurant outside of London?
Le Louis XV in Monaco. It means a lot to me.
Bar outside of London?
In New York, Dead Rabbit… the Irish connection and great whiskey.
Favourite hotel in London?
Either Claridge’s – it just gets everything right – or the Rosewood, which is a beautiful, lovely hotel.
Favourite hotel outside of London?
L'Hôtel de Paris in Monaco… or Crown Sydney. It has beautiful views of the harbour and amazing facilities.
Advice you’d give your younger self?
Embrace failure and accept it. It's a fact of life, and it's a part of growing.
