Chef talk: Luke
We caught up with one of our chefs, Luke Fearon.
I started my journey into professional cookery at a busy local pub where a standard night would be in excess of 100 covers. Little over a year into full time work, and completely by chance, I found myself stepping into the role of Head Chef to ensure the pub could continue to run after an unforeseen tragedy. I was thrown in at the deep end and had to adjust quickly. It was all very much learning on the job, but I secretly loved every moment. Throughout this we achieved many accolades and press attention, including being listed in The Times Top 50 list of the best places for a Sunday Roast in the UK. Which at that time, with very little professional experience, I took as a great compliment to our team's determination and passion for fine food.
After working at the village pub for a few years I realised my true passion was indeed cooking and especially in experimenting with ingredients and cooking techniques to devise new dishes. Wanting to learn a new level of excellence away from a busy service and high covers, I packed my bags, moved to the Cotswolds and began my next chapter into haute cuisine. When every element on the dish are considered, it allows you to push yourself and constantly grow and develop.
After about a year I began to get homesick for the coast and life in "the Shire" so with great excitement, I returned home to a restaurant in Exeter. At this restaurant I quickly moved through the ranks once more and this is where I first met Scott before becoming Head Chef.
Despite meeting my then wife to be, Anya, who was the restaurant manager, the restaurant in Exeter was not a long term venture and after an unsuccessful attempt to buy the restaurant from its then owners, I decided to join forces with Scott at a Country House Hotel on the outskirts of Tavistock. When I first started working with Scott, I joined him as his Sous Chef. We had both had a busy couple of years previously and it seemed like a great time to join forces with another chef where conversation about food was free-flowing and a desire to progress professionally was strong. It was a great fit for me and to this day defines a big part of the journey I am on.
Outside of work, I am very much a home bird and enjoy nothing more than a Sunday morning hoovering session whilst listening to a golf podcast or a trip to Ikea with my wife and son Lochlann. I had the famous Ikea meatballs for the first time this year whilst visiting family in Scotland and it blew my mind. It really has become one of my guilty pleasures and just one of the many things that I will always be eternally grateful to my wife, Anya, for introducing me to.
I have worked in various other roles since first meeting Scott from running a Michelin star restaurant to a pop-up of my own and setting up a marketing & PR company specifically for hospitality.
I reconnected with Scott to join the Àclèaf team in 2021. Lockdown ended my own businesses but in hindsight this allowed me to take stock of everything. You do work a lot of hours as a chef but that’s all outweighed by the instant gratification you get when you send out an exceptional dish and you know you’ve given someone a real and lasting memory. I know Scott and I feel the same about food and hospitality and after meeting the team at Àclèaf I knew this was where I wanted to sharpen my knives once again.
At Àclèaf, I am able to pull upon my knowledge of the hospitality industry, both front and back of house to help the team progress towards our common goals. I am given lots of opportunities at present to step away from traditional leadership roles to focus on restaurant development whether that be dishes, techniques, service, wine lists or ingredients. There’s so many different combinations and possibilities that you can keep exploring before finding that moment when something just works. It is a multifaceted approach to great hospitality and so rewarding! Everyone has their moment but I really do LOVE my job.
Find out more about our team of chefs on our Meet The Team page.