Peter Howarth

The Climb

Running a nursing home kitchen at 17 put Peter Howarth into responsibility early: service timing, consistency and decision-making were part of the job before many cooks have left commis level. That start was followed by work as chef at a two AA Rosette, four-star hotel, then by the more technical middle ground of Sous Chef at Winteringham Fields. The progression continued through Head Chef posts at Gidleigh Park, The Latymer at Pennyhill Park, and The Devonshire Arms’ Burlington Restaurant (until 2022), before he moved into Executive Chef at Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Today

At Glenapp Castle, the work is framed by Scottish produce and global influences, but the structure stays clear: season, place and ingredient-led cooking. Peter Howarth’s approach uses provenance as a working guide rather than a slogan, with dishes built from what the kitchen has in front of it and the setting around it. The result is cooking that keeps local identity at its core while allowing room for broader references, without losing the discipline that comes from years in demanding rooms.

Signature

Peter's signature dishes include Orkney scallop dish. The plate points to the way he works: ingredient-led, precise and built with enough restraint to let each element carry weight. It is the kind of dish that shows control through balance rather than excess.

In Their Words “Our Orkney scallop dish [served with sea vegetables, crab and finger lime] is my favourite, and I guess it’s my signature dish.”

Recognition

He traces the beginning of his love of cooking to the age of 11: "I fell in love with cooking when I was 11." That early interest, followed by years in kitchens that demanded precision and repetition, is visible in the way he identifies a single dish as the one that best represents his work. The dish he singles out is "Our Orkney scallop dish [served with sea vegetables, crab and finger lime] is my favourite, and I guess it’s my signature dish."