I’m a Yorkshire lad that just loves to cook.
From leaving school I never knew what I wanted to do for a career, so in the meantime I started to work at the local pub washing dishes. From washing pots, I decided I wanted to be a chef and went on to do my apprenticeship at Craven College in Skipton, Yorkshire, to be a professional chef.
I worked in a couple of restaurants before heading up to Hipping Hall where I would say I matured as a chef under the guidance of Oli Martin. I am now in charge of The Shibden Mill Inn in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where we have 2 rosettes and have been listed in the Good Food Guide as well as the Estrella Top 50 Gastropubs.
I don’t have a food style; I would say I take inspiration from a lot of different food styles and just aim to end up with the tastiest plate of food that I can whilst trying to keep ingredients as local as possible, as well as seasonal. We have an allotment where we try to grow as much as we can for the restaurant but with Shibden being a busy, large restaurant, it’s difficult to always supply ourselves. Nurtured in Norfolk are great as their products are always consistent and we can get herbs next day delivery which is great. My personal favourites are Nasturtiums, Oyster Leaf and Butterfly Sorrel.
To connect with Will Webster and discover more of his work, head to his Instagram page, @chef_will_webster