Scarlet Hotel appoints Jack Clayton as head chef

Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall has appointed Jack Clayton as the new head chef of its sea view restaurant in Mawgan Port. Since starting his career in 2009 in some of the East Midlands' most well-respected restaurants, Clayton has achieved three rosettes, two Bib Gourmand awards and the Nottingham head chef of the year award. His move to Scarlet comes as an opportunity to advance a lifelong passion for sustainability, fusing flavours and foraging.  

Perched on the south-west coastal path, Scarlet’s restaurant offers views of a coastline that can be easily explored from the hotel. Alongside responsibly sourced food, the restaurant offers a carefully curated list of slow-aged wine, expertly paired by the in-house sommelier Nick Bryant.

The restaurant is open to both residents and non-residents for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner daily. The day menu is a casual affair, transitioning into more of a fine dining experience in the evening with a seven-course tasting menu, inspired by Clayton’s commitments to organic local produce.  

Highlights of the menu include white gazpacho with almond, cucumber, grape, mint and garlic; sea trout pastrami with horseradish, cucumber mustard seeds and soda bread to start. Mains showcase locally caught fish, such as whole John dory served with leek, parsley, lemon butter sauce and herring eggs; and meat dishes such as Warren’s lamb rump with broad bean, pea, tarragon, hung yoghurt and oyster leaf. Desert choices range from chocolate choux with hazelnut, dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream, to peach with mascarpone parfait, almond cookie and rosemary. 

 Jack’s philosophy for the Scarlet restaurant is centred on showcasing the journey of each ingredient, from the catching of the fish through to the artful presentation of each dish. The menu is a daily celebration of nature and to this end, Clayton’s plans for the restaurant include coastal foraging courses for hotel guests and achieving a Michelin green star in 2023. 

After achieving a bib gourmand and dining pub of the year in his first appointed head chef position in Nottingham, Clayton realised his love for fish and decided to make the move to Cornwall. His first position in Cornwall was at The Gurnards Head where he achieved top 10 gastropubs from The Telegraph.

After the first lockdown in 2020, the chef took on a new challenge at the Stargazy Inn in Port Isaac before deciding to take the reins at the Scarlet Restaurant in 2022, where he hopes to take his passion for seafood and sustainability further. 

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