Kevin Tickle

Coming Up

Lineage in Northern kitchens shows up in the sequence of stations as much as in the final style. Kevin Tickle trained at Kendal College before starting as an apprentice at English Lakes Hotels, where the basics of service and pass discipline would have been set. He then moved through chef de partie roles at Sharrow Bay Hotel in Ullswater and Gilpin Lodge in Crook, before taking on sous chef and head forager duties at L'Enclume from 2005. That pairing matters: the stove and the landscape working together, with foraging made part of the job rather than an add-on. The next steps stayed close to that same ground. Kevin Tickle became head chef at Rogan & Co in the same village as L'Enclume, then head chef at Forest Side, before taking the chef patron role at Heft in 2020. Across those posts, the through-line is restraint, seasonality and a kitchen language built from what the area will reliably give.

Where They Are Now

Seasonality and locality sit at the centre of the brief. “For me, it's simple really, stick to seasonal ingredients which are as local as possible, and try to do something interesting with them.” The method is plain: keep the produce close, keep the intervention considered, and let the plate register time and place without overworking either. Service is meant to stay open rather than formal. “I've always wanted my food to be served with a level of informality, to allow everyone to feel comfortable and welcome.” In practice, that puts the emphasis on serious cooking delivered without stiffness, with the room set up to receive the food rather than stage it.

Signature

The dishes associated with Kevin Tickle show a kitchen comfortable with contrast, but still working within a restrained register. St James roast yeast crumpets points to warmth and fermentation-led depth. Kentucky fried squid with blue cheese combines crunch and sharpness in a way that reads as deliberate rather than decorative. Gotty’s squeaky cheese glazed in thyme honey brings richness and sweetness together with a regional cast. Smoked potato with squid and fennel kimchi ramen shows a wider toolkit, where smoke, brine and gentle heat are set against one another. Scorched cod with cockle and savoury broth sits closest to the core of the style: coastal, pared back and balanced with each component doing a clear job.

In Their Words “For me, it's simple really, stick to seasonal ingredients which are as local as possible, and try to do something interesting with them.” “I've always wanted my food to be served with a level of informality, to allow everyone to feel comfortable and welcome.”

Honors

Kevin's honors include Michelin star.