The Princess of Shoreditch was crowned Newcomer of the Year at the Top 50 Gastropubs 2022 event in January and rightfully so. The kitchen is run by head chef Ruth Hansom, a highly awarded chef who was a finalist on Great British Menu in 2020. Ruth’s cooking style wowed the Top 50 judges with her clever use of ingredients and stunning plating.
“Its clear there is a lot of consideration and thought behind each dish, even down to the crockery it is served on.” Said one judge."The food is where this Princess shines. Head chef, Ruth Hansom has been making a name for herself since winning Great British menu, and with the super-seasonal, beautifully presented dishes that are packed full of flavour, her stock is going to rise significantly." Said another.
We wanted to get under the skin of what drives Ruth’s passion for quality food.
When did you love of cooking first start?
When I was around 10 or 11, I started growing vegetables in my mum’s back garden and realised I needed to learn to cook what I’d grown
What do you enjoy most about your industry?
The people, its tight-knit and there’s inspiration everywhere
Who has inspired you the most in the industry?
Definitely John Williams, my first head chef at The Ritz
Where’s your favourite place to eat in the UK?
Roots in York, I love the ethos of restaurant and the food. My favourite dish was the bread, there was a seeded cracker which I got the recipe for and serve at The Princess. You can tell a lot about a meal by the quality of the bread course.
Greatest achievement in your career so far?
Probably winning young national chef in 2017. It took me 3 years, but it was a relief that my persistence finally paid off
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a chef?
Lockdown, customer feedback and gratification are what helps get chefs through the day and lockdown didn’t allow that
What makes The Princess of Shoreditch stand out above the rest?
The fact it has a pub feel downstairs, so people don’t expect what you’re going to get upstairs, there’s s an underestimation.
What does being named Newcomer of the Year at Top 50 Gastropubs mean to you?
It’s a real honour when you see everyone who is on the list
What’s an ingredient you couldn’t live without?
Garlic!
Any signature dishes or cooking styles?
Where we can we use all British ingredients with nose to tail cooking, we run with the seasons. We always have souffle on the menu – currently its chocolate with pear and hazelnut, in December it was a Christmas pudding souffle with cranberry sorbet
Have you got any exciting career plans this year we should keep an eye out for?
Just trying to evolve the team and keep bettering what we do. We are working on opening a prep kitchen upstairs as we expand the team
