Meeting the Man Behind Kent’s Only Two Michelin Star Restaurant: A conversation with Chef Director Allister Barsby, Hide and Fox
- James Massoud
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Tucked away on a village green in Saltwood, near the Kent coast, Hide and Fox has quietly become one of Britain’s most compelling fine dining destinations. Led by Chef Director Allister Barsby and co-owner Alice Bussi, the restaurant recently achieved the rare distinction of two Michelin stars, making it the only restaurant in Kent to hold the accolade.
In this interview with The Knife, Barsby reflects on his journey from becoming head chef at Gidleigh Park at just 24 to building a restaurant rooted in seasonality, balance and understated precision, and explains why world-class dining doesn’t need a city postcode to thrive.
As the only two Michelin star restaurant in Kent, how has Hide and Fox evolved since opening to reach that level of recognition?
We opened Hide and Fox to be a simple, approachable neighbourhood restaurant with aspirations. Since then, the team and our offering has grown organically, and we have just improved consistently year on year. Doubling the size of our team and making little investments, has meant we can push improvements not only in the food but service too.
Your cooking places a strong emphasis on the seasonal produce of Kent’s larder. How closely do you work with local growers, fishermen and farmers when shaping your menus?
Seasonality and locality are very important to us. I want us to have the first produce of the season on the menu before anyone else. For this to happen it’s difficult to source from just within Kent. Therefore, we look further afield in the UK. For example, we’ve just put the first of Wye Valley asparagus on, which is the best. Most of our meat is sourced locally; my good friends Kate and Giles of Longland Farm rear duck and geese, source venison and lamb, and are just 20 minutes up the road. We buy local fish if available and of good quality. So, for us it’s not just about local, it’s about quality and sourcing the best we can within the UK.
Our focus is to put balanced, full flavoured tasting menus together. Our menus don’t tell a story, other than being driven by seasonality. The menus start off light with a cold, usually raw or cured fish course. And grow in warmth and more robust flavours as the menu progresses, usually finishing in a lighter, not too sweet dessert.
There’s a clear sense of balance between richness and brightness in your dishes. How do you approach flavour layering across a multi-course menu?
When thinking of a dish, I’m always aware of the guest getting bored of a dish or the menu. So, we use vinegar, pickles and acidity to keep the guest interested, season intelligently, use spices subtly and herbs.
You became head chef of Gidleigh Park at just 24 and maintained its two Michelin stars. How did that experience shape the way you now lead your own kitchen?
I’ve always been a calm chef, although that can sometimes slip when you’re in charge of 20 chefs, like at Gidleigh. It was a learning curve for sure, taught me how to manage, speak to chefs, and more importantly teach them what you want them to do. Shouting all the time really can have the opposite effect, but being firm and fair is a balance. I want my chefs now to have a good time and fun when they work for me, so although it’s a serious kitchen, we do have some banter.
Hide and Fox sits on a quiet village green in Saltwood, yet it delivers a dining experience on par with the UK’s major gastronomic destinations. How important was it for you to prove that world-class dining can thrive outside big cities?
Serving quality and value for money is the most important thing, and people will recognise that. And price accordingly, we can’t charge £300 per head like other 2 stars in London, so we charge half that because we realise people won’t be willing to pay that much. If you work to your means, serve the best food you can and charge accordingly, you’ll get recognition.
Your career has taken you through some remarkable kitchens across Devon, Bath and Wales. Are there particular mentors or moments that still influence the way you cook today?
Undoubtedly Michael Caines is my biggest influence and someone I am proud to call my mentor. I worked for him for eight years, he taught me about balance, seasoning and the gentle use of spices and herbs. I still use his recipes, adjust them to my own style; I was lucky enough for him to give me his repertoire before I left.
The partnership between the kitchen and front-of-house at Hide and Fox is very much a collaboration between you and Alice. How does that dynamic influence the overall guest experience?
It’s constant communication, navigating service, wine flights, people leaving the table, toilet and smoke breaks. You must be aware of these things, that only happens through good communication between front and back-of-house. It must be dynamic and smooth and you need to be able to adjust; it’s all about the guest experience at the end of the day.
The wine list at Hide and Fox features some unusual regions alongside an English wine flight. When you design dishes, do you ever have specific wines or pairings in mind from the outset?
Not necessarily, we’ve done so many dishes now and the FOH knows my food, so I’ll describe a dish I want to put on, they’ll have two or three wines in mind. When we do the tasting, the best one is picked, or sometimes none of them will work so Alice will find or order something that fits perfectly.
Fine dining has been evolving rapidly in recent years, with a growing emphasis on intimacy and personality. How do you keep the experience at Hide and Fox refined while still feeling warm and approachable?
I feel you can serve any food, in any setting with the right service, making the guest feel welcome and at home. Of course, the food needs to be approachable, but that’s the skill in the service, making the guest feel at ease and relaxed after maybe a stressful journey to us, or they’ve had an argument, you can put so many things right with the correct approach, the perfect drink offering and a couple of snacks.
Looking ahead, how do you continue to push yourself creatively now that the restaurant has reached the milestone of two Michelin stars?
Constantly talking within the kitchen about the next dish, what produce is coming into season. Eating out, seeing and discussing work with other chefs. Getting the team involved in ideas. I think it’s important to keep changing the menu, too. We don’t stand still, we have regulars who come every two weeks, so we want to keep them interested too, as well as the team.
Finally, when guests leave Hide and Fox after an evening with you, what feeling or memory do you most hope they take away from the experience?
People always leave talking about the balance and lightness, but still, plenty of flavour. It’s the whole experience – the best FOH with delicious food, what more could you want?
