Meet the chef: Jason Atherton of The Social Company
The acclaimed Michelin-starred chef is set to open a clutch of new restaurants in the capital – but with 37 under his belt already, why is this project the “scariest” one?
Jason Atherton is one of the UK’s greatest chefs. I’m sure if I’d told him that during our chat he would’ve humbly disagreed, but when you’ve built an international restaurant empire, nurtured relationships with some of the best in the business and gained several Michelin stars along the way, it’s also hard to argue. I imagine he’d still try though.
Not because he’s obnoxious or overly modest, but because he clearly still finds it hard to believe that the boy from Skegness who came to the capital to wash pans in 1988 has become a culinary superstar. Under the tutelage of Nico Ladenis, Pierre Koffmann, Marco Pierre White, Ferran Adrià and Gordon Ramsay (the duo remain firm friends), he rose to Michelin-starred acclaim and is best known for his hugely successful restaurant Pollen Street Social, which gained a starry accolade just a year after opening in 2011.
Throughout the decade that followed, Atherton and wife Irha nurtured and expanded the business into The Social Company, comprising the Michelin-starred City Social, alongside Little Social, Hot Dogs by Three Darlings and Berners Tavern in London. Beyond the UK, you’ll find Atherton’s presence in Dubai, the Philippines, Shanghai, Mykonos, and St Moritz. Enough to keep his hands full, then.
Sael
Jason with his wife Irha
Well, perhaps not. Atherton made headlines in March this year, not only for being awarded two Michelin stars for Dubai’s Row on 45 (a concept he will be bringing to Savile Row in November), but also for announcing the closure of Pollen Street Social. Why? In his words: “Because you have to be bold if you want to be remembered.” But also because he had something else up his sleeve.
His first London openings in five years, Atherton is bringing four new culinary concepts to the capital this year. With chef Dale Bainbridge, formerly of the beloved Pollen Street Social, on board, Atherton’s foodie empire will soon encompass Three Darlings on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road; Hot Dogs by Three Darlings, a new concept that launched in Harrods Dining Hall in August; a fine dining destination in Mayfair named Row on 5 that’s set to match its Dubai sister’s success; and Sael, a thoroughly British restaurant in St James’ Market, which opened this month.
The latter is Atherton’s homage to the diverse heritage of the British Isles, blending traditional flavours with global influences. With the entire team from the now-closed Pollen Street parachuted in, Sael features a dynamic menu in which guests choose their base ingredient – vegetable or protein but always cooked on a wood-fire grill – and add a variety of sides. Think a hearty Cumbrian lamb hotpot, the unique 100-layer heritage snail and ox cheek lasagne and a Pollen Street favourite, jam roly poly with Jersey milk. Here, each dish focuses on ingredients exclusively sourced from the British Isles, inviting both Londoners and visitors to savour the finest British flavours, including charcuterie from the farm of acclaimed The Ledbury chef Brett Graham.
Having told Restaurant Online, “I’ve opened 37 restaurants, but this is the scariest one”, we sit down with the British chef to discuss his relationship with Gordon Ramsay, how he’s staying ahead of the culinary curve, and why London will always be home.
I don’t have that ‘grandma taught me to cook’ experience, but I was so impressed by my mum’s hard work in the kitchen. She cooked non-stop for our guests at the bed and breakfast and I suppose that rubbed off on me.
I always loved food. From a young age I was always curious and food and cooking was something I could embrace and lose myself to. I have so many memories but one in particular was in 1994, when I was on my way to work at Auberge de l’Ill, Alsace, and stopped for lunch at Au Crocodile in Strasbourg.
The chef there at the time was Emile Jung, who had three Michelin stars. I was young and felt totally out of place but once Emile learnt that I had been working for Marco Pierre White he came to sit with me and talked to me as a fellow chef. I was blown away by the whole experience and it is something that will stay with me forever.
My career began at the age of 16 when I went to work at the county hotel in Skegness which I loved.
I have been lucky to work with some of the greatest chefs of my generation, including Nico Ladenis, Pierre Koffmann, Marco Pierre White and Ferran Adrià, but the 12 years I spent with Gordon Ramsay shaped me into who I am today. It was simply magnificent working alongside such a great man and chef.
My working relationship with Gordon was incredible and I learnt so much from him. It was the best years of my career – I loved it. He is so dedicated and dynamic and you can really feed off his energy. Yes, we are still friends today – I hope!
I wanted to know if I really had it in me; to be a chef on my own without someone on my shoulders. Irha and I wanted to see if we could feed our family and fulfil our dreams of running our own place.
We made the decision to close Pollen Street in March because you have to be bold if you want to be remembered. If you really believe in yourself then you back yourself and that’s what we have done. It’s time for Pollen Street Social to exist in people’s memories and for us to open something more sensational and relevant to today’s market.
There is no favourite, it’s simply something we have been organising since Covid finished. We wanted something more accessible and affordable for the new age of diner, a more simple wine list and somewhere you can go out three or four times a month, so Three Darlings was born on Pavilion Road. We then have Hot Dogs By Three Darlings which will serve gourmet hot dogs available from around the world.
Then we decided with Dale Bainbridge, who has been our chef at Pollen Street for more than 10 years, to create Sael which is our love letter to Britain and is also very affordable. For the final venue, we joined forces with [former head chef of The Ritz] Spencer Metzger to create Row on 5: a version of our fine dining restaurant in Dubai that has had a massive launch. This will be a 28-seat restaurant offering a tasting menu journey around Britain showcasing that our beautiful island has some of the best products in the world.
Because I came to London in 1988 to wash pans as a young man and made life for myself in this great city. I believe that this proves if you work hard then anything can happen. I love London, it’s my home and I want to offer the very best version of me to this wonderful city.
Instead of focusing on Michelin stars, concentrate on working hard, taking care of your guests, and striving to be the best version of yourself. Remember, it’s also a business – if you don’t make money, you won’t stay in the game.
I love so many restaurants in London. Some to note are Claude Bosi, Brett Graham’s restaurants, Sabor, Gymkhana, A. Wong – the list goes on.
I love Tomos Parry – I love Mountain and Brat, I have been a fan for a while.
I work out every day, boxing three times a week and doing strength and conditioning with dedicated coaches for both. I also love shopping on Savile Row – I think it’s the best street on the planet. I can hardly believe we’re opening there!
Visit jasonatherton.co.uk
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