Meet the guys who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the famous dishes we all know and love. Our team of talented chefs come from all different walks of life and have an impressive skillset from a number of different cultures and cuisines, which we are lucky enough to have under one roof.

HEAD CHEF – Josh

With seven years of industry experience, Head Chef Josh combines his culinary expertise and his passion for local produce to present a unique offering at The Hook. His enthusiasm for all things fresh can be seen across the board in the ever-changing menu and specials, led and formulated by him.

All time favourite dish: A proper chicken kebab

Favourite cuisine: French

Your cooking role model: Tommy Banks

JUNIOR SOUS CHEF – Rob

Cooking since the age of four and working in the kitchen from 16 years old whilst pursuing other career ventures, Rob is our much-valued Junior Sous Chef. Growing up around home cooking, Rob is passionate about foraging and incorporating local produce within his dishes, favouring a twist of European inspiration. He even has plans to convert the plant area behind the second floor bar into a fresh herb garden.

All time favourite dish: Apple strudel

Favourite cuisine: Contemporary British / European

Your cooking role model: Daniel Clifford

RAMEN CHEF – Piotr

Pasta enthusiast and ramen pro Piotr may have started cooking a little later than the rest of the team, but with 15 years’ experience under his belt and extensive knowledge of the industry it’s safe to say he knows what he’s doing! You can look forward to tasting his infamous ramen in The Hook’s next project… watch this space.

All time favourite dish: Pasta

Favourite cuisine: Japanese

COMMIS CHEF – Alex

Making his cooking debut in 2015, Commis chef Alex joined The Hook’s kitchen team a little under a year ago after moving to Guernsey. Alex fell into a cooking role in his home town in Greece, he brings a passion for simplicity to the kitchen and regularly incorporates his taste for Greek cuisine in his day-to-day kitchen responsibilities. He works closely on starters and desserts, so you have Alex to thank if you’ve tried our famous crab donuts, chorizo scotch egg or miso blondie.

All time favourite dish: Souvlaki

Favourite cuisine: Greek (of course!)

Your cooking role model: Any one of his mentors

KITCHEN ASSISTANT – Tyler

Tyler started his first job at The Hook as a part-timer two years ago, and has learnt the ropes of almost every kitchen section since. He is still expanding his skillset and exploring his specialities. Having seen how a restaurant is run and building a good understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, we have no doubt Tyler will succeed in his future cooking endeavours!

All time favourite dish: Steak

Favourite cuisine: Top 5 – Italian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Japanese

Your cooking role model: Chef Gordon Ramsey

Hazelnut Tart
600g Dark Chocolate
400g Coconut Milk
150g Hazelnuts
Almond Base
400g Almond Flour
45g Cocoa Powder
40g Maple Syrup
100g Coconut Oil
Salted Caramel
200g Sugar
100g Glucose
100g Maple Syrup
200g Soya Cream
30g Maldon Salt

Hazelnut Tart
1) Roast the hazelnuts at 180c 15 – 20 minutes until dark brown and leave to cool.
2) Mix the almond flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup and coconut oil until it comes
together to form a dough. Spread the mixture into a 12inch tart case and press
against the bottom and side evenly. Chill in the fridge until solid.
3) Gently warm the coconut milk in a large saucepan until near boiling. Remove from
the hear and add the dark chocolate. Stir until one consistency.
4) Add the roasted hazelnuts to the chocolate mix and stir. Pour the mixture into the
set tart case and shake edges to flatten. Place in fridge to set for one hour.
5) Once set, lightly blowtorch the tart case to warm and loosen the tart. Remove from
case and portion into 16.

Salted Caramel
1) Brush the sides of a medium saucepan with water and add the sugar and glucose.
Gently heat to a dark caramel.
2) Remove from the heat and add the maple syrup followed by the soya cream and
whisk.
3) Add Maldon salt or any other sea salt to finish.

The Hook has hosted another successful tasting event with a full house of happy customers. The event was held on 18th May and was designed to showcase local produce, complemented by a selection of Spanish and Italian wines.

After working closely with Grow Ltd and a local lamb famer, the tasting event team strived to feature as much locally grown vegetables and produce as possible. There was a lot of trial and error involved for head chef Josh and junior sous chef Rob, experimenting up to seven times on some dishes on the six-course tasting menu.

‘There were some really interesting and sharp flavours on the menu,’ said head chef Josh. ‘There was a heavy focus on dry aged Guernsey lamb, accompanied by local veg. Prime cuts of meat and variations of rhubarb were also featured alongside some bold flavour pairings that you’ve probably never seen before’.

Junior sous chef Rob said it was great to have creative freedom to create the menu alongside Josh.

‘We love a challenge and tried to incorporate rhubarb in both sweet and savoury tasting dishes. The amuse bouche of pork cheek, rhubarb, shallot, and onion broth went down well; and although a bit daring, the rhubarb tart with smoked beet sorbet and sorrel gel was a hit.’

Owner Sam Jarrold thanked customers for their positive feedback.

‘It was great to see so many familiar faces from previous tasting events and putting this Sprint tasting event on was a pleasure throughout,’ he said.

The Hook’s twist on local produce enjoyed with fine wine was a sell out, and regular customers can look forward to seeing more of these events in months to come.

It’s no secret that having a passion for wine is on the job description for all staff at The Hook! To commemorate World Malbec Day, we review our wine offering and explore some of our bestsellers.

World Malbec Day is celebrated each year on April 17^th to symbolise the transformation of the Argentinian wine industry and celebrate the now emblem for Argentina. Originating in Cahors, in south western France, they are known as ‘Côt’. A French agronomist introduced ­­­­Malbec to Argentina in 1853, in the hope that the French grape ‘Malbec’ would adapt to the soil. Fast forward 168 years and more than 75% of Malbec grapes are now grown in Argentina, with its best variations growing there.

Malbec has become a global favourite, particularly emerging in the last 20 years. It’s a great go-to for those who haven’t found their favourite as it’s versatile, packed full of flavour yet has a certain subtlety to it, making it suitable for all occasions and palates.

As we see the standard of Malbec in France rise as they try to play catch up, we’ve taken a look at some of our bestselling wine. Undoubtedly a bottle of Malbec Argentino, Felino from Mendoza is our most popular. Felino, like many other Malbec Argentinos, has aromas of red fruit, plums & cherries, notes of violet & spices with oak ageing of chocolate and tobacco flavours. We also offer a nice variety of Cabernet Sauvignon / Malbec blends.

A personal favourite at The Hook is the Nicassia, from Catena Zapata. It’s big and bold with dark cherry flavours and a good hint of vanilla from the oak. Look out for this one at The Wine Alley, it costs £50 and regularly scores 92+ points from critics!

Due to its success, Malbec is now used to produce different styles of wine; white, rosé, sparkling and sweet are now available, meaning there is a Malbec for every dish and occasion. However, we thoroughly recommend pairing Malbec with good quality red meat that has a decent fat content. The acidity cuts through the fat and the flavours of the wine make a perfect marriage.

If you’d like to learn (and drink) a little more about wine, we offer wine tasting packages at The Hook which can be booked via [email protected]

We’re back with another delicious recipe that feeds the family, is quick to make and is mouth wateringly good. These addictingly sweet pork chops pack all the flavours of a classic Asian dish and are ready in just 30 minutes. Complimented by a kimchi coleslaw, this dish is rich in umami and will undoubtedly become a family favourite.

We paired this dish with a lovely biodynamic Nero di Troia from Puglia available from the Wine Alley for £9.  It’s a rich wine of dark plum flavours with spices, perfect with the little heat in the bbq sauce.

Our head chef, Josh Brook, talks through the recipe on Eliza Philippidis’ BBC Radio Guernsey show, and you can listen along at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p094bsz3 starting at 2hrs 20mins.

Asian Pork Chop with Kimchi Coleslaw

4 People

30 minutes

Ingredients

Pork Chops                  4

Coleslaw

Chinese Cabbage      ½

Onion                          1

Carrots                        2

Kimchi                        100g

Fresh Coriander        20g

Mayonnaise               3tbsp

Sriracha                      1/2tbso

Salt

Sauce

Sesame Seed Oil         3tbsp

BBQ Sauce                  175g

Orange (Zest/Juice)    1

Soy Sauce                    100g

Ginger                         50g

Garlic Cloves               2

Spring Onion               1

To serve

Sesame Seeds

Fresh Coriander 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. For the coleslaw, chop or grate the vegetables for the coleslaw and put in mixing bowl. Add kimchi, chopped fresh coriander, mayonnaise, sriracha and season with salt to taste.
3. For the sauce, grate the orange zest and squeeze the orange juice into a large saucepan. Grate the ginger, crush the garlic cloves and add to pan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Once boiling remove the spring onion.
4. Heat 2tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet until slightly smoking. Add the pork chops and cook on each side until golden brown.
5. Transfer the pork chops to a baking tray and cover with the sauce. Place in the heated oven for 5 – 8 minutes until cooked. If using probe take to 63c.
6. Once cooked serve with coleslaw and top with black and white sesame seeds and chopped fresh coriander.

We know that by now some of our regular customers are missing the talents of our kitchen. Whilst the venue may be different, we are hopeful to offer our customers a weekly recipe you can make in the comfort of your home and have a small taste of luxury during this unsettling lockdown.

You can catch our head chef, Josh Brook, every Wednesday with Eliza Philippidis on BBC Radio Guernsey to talk through some of our favourite recipes with household ingredients. This week’s recipe was a roast sea bass, Greek vegetable & toasted pitta which you can follow along at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p093pkmr starting at 2hr21mins. 

Our paired wine for this dish will be an Assyrtiko, Greek white available from The Wine Alley at £18 a bottle. It’s a citrusy wine, with good acidity to cut through the fish oils in the dish and has a lovely saline note to it. The perfect match for a Greek bass!

If you’re shielding or isolating, The Wine Alley are offering curb-side pickups or deliveries. Call them on 01481726747

Roast Sea Bass, Greek Vegetables & Toasted Pitta

4 People

40 minutes

Ingredients

Whole Sea Bass                       700g

Cherry Tomatoes                    50g

Courgettes                              100g

Red Onion                               100g

Red Sweet Pepper                  100g

Parsley                                    50g

Garlic Cloves                           4

Oregano                                  2tsp

Rosemary                                2 springs

Balsamic Vinegar                    50ml

Fish Sauce                               1 tbsp

Pitta Breads                            4

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Flaked Sea Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. While the oven is preheating slice the vegetables into rondelles and roughly chop the parsley.
3. Mix the vegetables with the the dried and fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, and a couple of pinches of sea salt and cracked black pepper and leave to marinate.
4. Once the oven is at the correct temperature, spread the vegetables and rosemary on a baking tray with grease proof paper, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the vegetables and preheat the oven to 220°C.
6. Stuff the fish with the vegetables and rosemary and cover the fish skin generously with olive oil and sea salt. Place on a sheet of baking paper on a roasting tray and cook for 7 minutes.
7. Remove the fish, flip, and reapply the olive oil and salt to the fish skin. Cook for a further 7 minutes.
8. Once cooked (if using probe, check in the flesh closest to the head and remove at 60°C – the fish will continue to cook to the desired temperature of 62°C) remove from oven and leave to rest.
9. While the fish is resting cover pitta breads in olive oil and grill for one minute each side.
10. Serve the stuffed fish on one plate to share.

Stuck with the job of being designated driver this Christmas? Whilst there are plenty of advantages, The Hook is about to give our alcohol-free customers another incentive to stay sober.

We have partnered with the Health Improvement Commission to support the ‘It’s a small island – don’t drink and drive’ campaign and ‘Count 14’, encouraging islanders to stick to the low-risk drinking guidelines and quite literally count 14 units, remembering to spread them over 3 or more days during a week. With more than a third of Guernsey respondents admitting they drink more than the recommended amount; we saw no better time than now to launch our new mocktail menu.

With Christmas around the corner, giddiness for a drink (or two) can sometimes get the best of us. With our newly launched mocktails you won’t have to worry about having one too many. They have been specially designed by our skilled bartenders to taste like alcohol without suffering a hangover (they sound more like magic potions to us!)

We want to make The Hook an inviting place for all customers, whether you drink or not, we offer an array of alcohol-free spirits and drinks – from Seedlip to alcohol-free beer, you won’t have to worry about missing out.

Whilst Christmas can be seen as a time to over-drink, over-eat and generally overindulge, we want the wellbeing of our customers to remain paramount. So, with health and moderation in mind, we teamed up with K-tea, a well-known locally brewed Kombucha business, to offer rich flavours in our cocktails with a twist.

K-tea was founded in 2016 and is a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks. With detoxifying and energising properties, ethically sourced whole leaf tea and botanicals are fermented with raw cane sugar to create a delicious drink with a host of benefits.

Carefully mixed with other ingredients, we have created a mocktail menu that you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you need a quick break in between your next glass of wine, a day off or are entirely alcohol-free, everyone is free to enjoy one of our delicious concoctions at The Hook.

For humans, there’s nothing too glamourous about aging. Slowly getting wrinkly, balding and losing a few marbles; if you hung us up for a month in a controlled humid environment, it probably wouldn’t do much good. However, for meat, this controlled decay process enhances and unlocks new flavours and textures – more than you could imagine.

In a similar way to how luxury restaurants became cured meat-obsessed over the past decade, dry aging beef has made its return from lonesome butchers and steakhouses, to its new home of high-end restaurants. People are also taking dry aging to new heights, going against the original 20-30 day maturing process as butchers have always done. Instead, modish chefs are pushing limits with aging periods of 45 days, 150 days or if you’re the famous Carnevino Steakhouse Las Vegas’ head chef – 8-month-old dry aged steak.

There’s more than meets the eye to dry aging beef. It takes knowledge and skill to ensure the environment is perfect in order for succulent flavours and textures to be released, so it’s safe to say there’s more to the art than hanging some meat on a hook and leaving it to rot.

The science behind dry aging beef is an intense cycle of bacteria manifesting and building layers of different mold, which after broken into reveals juicy and very much un-mouldy meat. An aging room should have a clean smell, and if there are sour notes then the meat has been improperly stored and is not suitable for serving.

Underneath that intense smell is the water seeping out and concentrating the flavour, carbs are turned to sugar making it sweeter, connective tissue is weakened which gives it that tender bite we can all appreciate. But one of the most important chemical reactions that takes place is the protein that is broken down into amino acids, umami included. Umami deepens the rich and concentrated flavour of aged beef and tingles the tastebuds, providing that sensory pleasure we can recognize in every bite of a steak.

We pride ourselves at The Hook for dry aging all of our meat for a minimum of 28 days in our own dry age cabinet. Our meat is aged on the bone to intensify the flavour, and we serve a variety of different beef cuts. Steaks include fillet, picanha rump & rib-eye, large steak cuts of côte de bœuf, sirloin on the bone and chateaubriand are available. Even our ‘Smokey Joe’s Burger’ patties are dry aged. We have an extensive and ever changing menu of high quality steak cuts, just ask your waiter for details.

The Hook & Sling welcomed new employee, Igor Racu, in March earlier this year. Igor who is originally from Iași, Romania moved to Guernsey three and a half years ago, where he held the position of Bar Manager in two well established restaurants and bars, Mora and Red.

Before emigrating to Guernsey, Igor owned his own hospitality company where he taught and managed a host of skills for those entering or struggling in the hospitality industry. Creating food and cocktail menus as well as training waiters and bartenders, Igor brings a fresh perspective on leadership to The Hook staff.

The general nature of Guernsey nightlife means the demand at bars on Friday and Saturday nights are continuous, where everybody wants to be served quickly and at the highest quality. With The Hook’s lively atmosphere Igor says he does not aim to put on a show with tricks, but entertain patrons with high quality drinks.

Igor described the ambience of The Hook as ‘Friday everyday’, and when it comes to the bar’s fast paced environment, Igor said his ‘patience’ was his greatest strength as a bartender.

‘Behind the bar you need to be effective and provide good products and fast service.’

The Hook recently launched its latest cocktail menu which was concocted by Igor and the team and inspired by traditional Japanese flavours, to complement the Japanese cuisine. The cocktails which have gained the most popularity, pictured below, are ‘The Pokémon’, consisting of strawberry & cucumber shrub, aloe vera, vodka and while strawberry liqueur, along with ‘The Sudoku’, made using rhubarb gin, sweet vermouth, Campari bitter and rhubarb liqueur.

Igor, who describes himself as a ‘competitive perfectionist’, said he prefers to switch up the menu every 4-6 months and aims to target all different types of taste preferences on the menu.

To gather ideas for up and coming cocktails along with names, Igor goes into a deep state of meditation and notes down his thoughts to experiment. Satisfaction is a large part of his cocktail creations, which is why if a cocktail is substandard, he will go back to the drawing board until he’s happy to serve his creation to customers.

Igor and the team at The Hook and Sling are constantly creating new cocktails inspired by current trends. If you have a personal preference the team will be more than happy to assist and create something entirely unique!

The Hook is island-renowned for being the only Japanese oriented modern seafood, sushi and steak restaurant. Located in the heart of St Peter Port and with breathtaking coastal views, The Hook is in the rare position of offering customers the unique chance to enjoy fresh fish from the waters it overlooks.

Since the pandemic hit, we have seen a significant rise in the number of islanders trying to support local businesses of all kinds. Here at The Hook we’ve never seen it any other way, with the freshest produce on our doorstep, it doesn’t make any logical sense to find alternative suppliers, unless absolutely necessary.

We are always liaising with Guernsey food suppliers and try our very best to provide a rich taste of Guernsey whenever we can. From our Donald Russel steaks to our catch of the day caught on the line that same morning – high quality and traceable food remains paramount.

We are widely recognized for our high-quality seafood, but we can’t take all of the credit. Our waters are home to a large number of diverse species, many of these not seen on UK shores, so it’s really the fish we should thank.

It may not be the Great Barrier Reef, but our waters have seen a handful of bizarre species such as the Flying Fish, Bramble Shark and Deep-sea Angler. Although you probably won’t see these on our special’s menu, the Bailiwick and Jersey is now recorded to have a list of 216 species, so marine life is probably a tad busier than day-to-day life in the Channel Islands.

The more common fish you will see on our specials menu are mackerel, seabream and sea bass to name a few; although these fish sound slightly less exciting, seasoned, cooked and served with local produce, you truly taste the flavour of Guernsey.

Lobster and crab are amongst the most popular dishes across the Bailiwick, and with some of the highest quality seafood in Europe it’s no wonder why our surf & turf is such a hit. Our individual relationships with local suppliers allow us to access fresh seafood at a rate most places can’t, making dining at The Hook a truly unique experience.

‘Vegan wine’ what is it, and what on earth does it mean? To someone new to the vegan concept, a vegan diet revolves around not consuming any animal products; not just the meat, but anything that comes from an animal such as milk or eggs. A vegan lifestyle is slightly different, as this is where somebody avoids all animal exploitation of any kind, for example purchasing leather items.

So… since when have grapes been sentient beings? Wine in itself (fermented grape juice) is vegan, but it’s the ‘fining’ process in which a lot of wines fall under the non-vegan friendly category. Fining agents are used to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness and any organic particles that could affect the flavour and colour of the wine, ultimately clarifying it. Common fining agents include:

• Casein (milk protein)
• Blood and bone marrow
• Isinglass (gelatin from fish bladder membranes)
• Chitin (fiber from crustacean shells)
• Fish oil
• Egg albumen (derived from egg whites)
• Gelatin (protein from boiling animal parts)

These fining agents, although removed, can leave residue and are therefore not suitable for a plant-based diet. However, many companies are keeping up with demand and supplying large ranges of wine that are unfined or fined using suitable agents such as limestone, silica gel or plant casein to name a few. Don’t be misunderstood though, your favourite wine will still be just as good as these agents don’t contribute to flavour at all.

Even though there are growing numbers of ethical fining agents, there is an increasing number of natural winemakers who encourage the wine to remain in the most natural state possible, as when refined they believe unique flavours can be dimmed. We offer an extensive selection of unfined wine and we’ll be happy to help you explore your palette and discover your preferred wine.

With veganism on the rise there is more demand for ethical and sustainable wines than ever before, which is why at The Hook we decided to up our vegan wine game.

We did our research and found trustworthy suppliers that we rely on to import our vegan wine, which is popular even amongst our meat eaters. Our eco-friendly stock varies from Shiraz, Malbec, Chardonnay, Sancerre to Rosé and even bubbles, free from animal products and sustainably sourced!

Wines are clearly marked for our plant based guests at The Hook, but if you’re unsure if your wine is vegan, simply ask your waiter for the unfined/unfiltered wine options as these wines have not gone through the fining process and will be free of all animal products. Keep your eyes peeled for new vegan wines we have arriving soon!