The Culinary Journey of Skye Gyngell
Skye Gyngell is the picture of effortless elegance when we meet at Hampshire’s stunning stately hotel, Heckfield Place, where she is the culinary director. “I am very busy, but I love it,” she tells me in her soft, gentle Australian accent. “My schedule determines where I spend most of each week, and while I don’t do double shifts anymore, I’m very lucky to be working between two such wonderful places.”
As a pioneer of sustainable, seasonal food, Skye championed the use of local fresh ingredients long before such terms were thrown around with everyday ease. She won Petersham Nurseries its Michelin star and worked as an acclaimed food writer before branching out on her own in 2011. “I wanted to spread my wings and see where they would take me,” she shares. Now, she balances her time between Heckfield Place and her restaurant in London, Spring.
Moreover, Skye is gearing up to open Spring Garden at RHS Chelsea in the summer, a contract she has undertaken for the past two years. “They have lots of great street food vendors at RHS,” she tells me. “The space where Spring is, is like a little world of its own. It feeds a lot of people; it’s an all-day offering, so breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, drinks, and dinner.” Although she admits to being “really nervous,” this experience has proven to be a roaring success. “My cooking is very pared back,” she muses. “I try to focus on the beauty of what comes from the ground.”
Skye describes overseeing the culinary delights of Heckfield Place as completely all-consuming. A Georgian stately home surrounded by rolling meadows, it was the brainchild of Dr. Gerald Chan, an American billionaire with impeccable taste. Skye stepped into the role of culinary director in 2011, even before Heckfield Place opened its doors to the public in 2018.
She recalls the moment she left Petersham Nurseries as one of uncertainty about her direction. “I didn’t really have any plans, but I knew I wanted a restaurant and to do something independently,” she reflects. At Heckfield, she enjoys “total freedom over the food,” reflecting her gastronomic ethos. “I have a lot of freedom, and he trusts me.” The farm is a focal point of the hotel, and it has taken eight years to start a regeneration process. They received organic status in 2018 and biodynamic status in 2019, which speaks volumes about Skye’s commitment to sustainable practices.
This approach is also evident at Skye’s London restaurant, Spring, and at Spring Garden RHS, both of which show her careful consideration of every single ingredient and its provenance. “RHS Spring aims to be as sustainable as possible, which is the principle of how we cook, but it’s different to Spring restaurant because you’re feeding 800 people a day,” she emphasizes.
Curious about her perspective on the future of food in the UK, I ask Skye where she sees it heading. “I genuinely hope to see more small farms,” she replies. “They don’t have to be biodynamic; there are many ways of farming.” She highlights the increasing interest in the connections between food sources and how food is grown, stating, “Seasonality has become much more important to people.” Though uncertain if a huge change is on the horizon, she remains optimistic about the influence of chefs.
Despite her busy schedule, Skye loves to visit certain chefs and restaurants during her rare downtime. “Merlyn Johnson at Osip down in Somerset is just the most beautiful cook. His approach to food is so intelligent,” she shares. Her observations of the British food scene reveal a dramatic transformation over the last decade. “I think London is probably the most exciting food city in the world now,” she claims.
Skye is humble and self-effacing, but she is undeniably a pivotal figure in the contemporary British food scene. Passionate about her role, she thoughtfully acknowledges the new generation of chefs rising behind her. “I’ll do it as long as I feel I’m doing it well. You grow a business one plate at a time, and I never want to do anything that isn’t wonderful,” she concludes.
RHS Chelsea runs from 21-25 May 2024.
