PUSHING BOUNDARIES

COMPLIMENTS OF THE CHEF

NEIL HAYDOCK • Executive Head Chef at Fifteen Cornwall

Establishing a top-class restaurant from scratch in a remote corner of Britain is a formidable challenge. Doing it with a kitchen staffed by 20 disadvantaged young people from a variety of difficult backgrounds is surely asking for trouble. Yet three years ago Neil Haydock was more than happy to head to deepest Cornwall to give it a try, walking away from a glitzy job as chef de cuisine at the world famous Sandy Lane in Barbados to help kickstart this innovative social enterprise. Originally from Lancashire, 40-year-old Neil clearly has a special bond with Fifteen Cornwall – after all, the restaurant opened for business on the same date as his birthday, 18 May. “This place is unique,” he says, looking out over Watergate Bay, “It’s like we’ve picked up a top London restaurant and dropped it down on a beach.” And as someone who’s spent time working in the capital for such acclaimed eateries as Bluebird, Mezzo, L’Escargot and The Ivy, he should know.