Andrew Pern
Overall ranking: 100 (100)
Chef rating: 22 (18)
Andrew Pern - Snapshot
Andrew Pern is the chef-proprietor of the 34-seat Star Inn at Harome, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, where his wife Jacquie looks after the bar and front of house. It is currently one of just eight pubs in the UK to hold a Michelin star.
The Perns have built up a thriving business in Yorkshire that includes rooms, a gourmet village shop and deli, an upmarket tearoom at Scampston, and a butcher’s shop in Helmsley.
Andrew Pern - Career guide
Andrew Pern, who is in his mid-30's, was born in the Esk Valley in North Yorkshire. He spent three years at Scarborough Technical College before joining the 11-bedroom Milburn Arms hotel at Rosedale Abbey in North Yorkshire, where he was promoted to head chef at the age of 22.
It was here that he met his wife, Jacquie, who was manageress of the hotel. The couple struck out on their own when they bought the 14th century Star Inn in June 1996. It gained a Michelin star rating in 2002.
Andrew Pern - What we think
Andrew Pern is a largely self-taught chef whose hearty northern dishes have been influenced by Paul Heathcote’s restaurant in Longridge, Lancashire, and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.
Pern is a keen champion of local and British produce and his style is characterised by the juxtaposition of cheap and refined ingredients, such as foie gras with black pudding.
The Star has enjoyed phenomenal success over the past 10 years, including the collection of three Caterer and Hotelkeeper Cateys – Menu of the Year in 1997, Newcomer of the Year in 1998, and Pub Operator of the Year in 2003.
They were followed by the Good Pub Guide Pub of the Year and the Which? Good Hotel Guide Newcomer of the Year awards in 2004 and the Egon Ronay Gastropub of the Year accolade in 2005. In 2006, Pern was named Best Chef at the inaugural Northern Hospitality Awards.
Just two years after opening the Star, Pern was invited to join the Master Chefs of Great Britain.
The Perns’ success – and remote location – has fuelled their steady expansion. After renovating the semi-derelict Star, they quickly added a coffee loft and a private dining room for 10.
In October 2001 they bought a derelict barn across the road and opened part of this a month later as the Corner Shop selling local produce and deli items. The rest became the eight-double-bedroom Cross House Lodge which opened in September 2002 with its own dining room, the Wheeler restaurant. The Perns also lease out rooms at the Black Eagle Cottage in the village.
In 2004 the couple opened The Star at Scampston, an upmarket tearoom at the mini-stately home with public gardens that has a purpose-built kitchen for cookery demonstrations and courses.
In December that year the Perns added a nearby butcher’s shop to their business. Called Perns of Helmsley, it serves meats, Neal Yard cheeses and deli items and will have a bar area.
2006 –the 10th anniversary of the Pern’s enterprise - brought a new addition to their mini-empire in the form of the Farmhouse, which had served as home to the Perns and their four children for two years. From October, the family-friendly, four-bedroom venue opened to guests with the promise of their own personal on-site chef from the Pern brigade.
The Perns are respected for their commitment to the local community and staff training. They use village suppliers as far as possible and, in 2003, had six employees from the local college. On top of in-house training, the Perns take staff to visit suppliers and Michelin-star restaurants.
Andrew Pern – Further information
Andrew Pern recipes on CatererSearch
The Star at Harome website
The Star at Scampston website
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