Jordan Lowe has been with us since early 2016 when he came on board as a Chef de Partie under our previous Head Chef Derek Johnstone. Now the new leader in our kitchen, we took the time to catch up with him.
Over the last few years, under Derek’s tutelage, he has progressed and is now at the helm as Derek leaves us to take up a new career and spend more time with his young children.
SO JORDAN, WHY COOKING?
“Well, like so many chefs, I started out as a pot washer. As a kitchen porter in a large hotel I was part of a large kitchen so got the opportunity to see every section at work.
I have always been interested in food and soon I got the opportunity to work on the pizza section. I loved it and quickly moved onto other sections, learning about all the areas of the kitchen.
Being able to look at a set of ingredients and create something delicious is a great feeling. That’s why I love the fact we do regular specials here at The Court House. It gives me and all the team a chance to try out new ideas and ingredients that we don’t normally use.”
OCCASIONALLY, WE GIVE YOU THE NIGHT OFF. WHAT DO YOU COOK AT HOME?
“My wife and I have a new baby so there isn’t a lot of time for creating in the kitchen at home! She loves Mexican food though so there are lots of fajitas and spicy dishes on the menu!”
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN YOUR NEW ROLE?
“Being the boss! Aside from that, I am passionate about developing young chefs. We have a great programme here at The Court House where anyone with an interest in food and a genuine desire to learn is welcome. We are happy to put trainees through SVQ programmes regardless of their previous qualifications. The best way to learn is by continually practising, allowing young chefs the space to experiment and make mistakes. There’s a lot of tasting and testing in our kitchen. Creating the weekly specials and developing seasonal menus is always a collaborative process. It helps younger members of the team to grow in confidence, develop their own style and become more creative.”
WHAT’S NEW CHEF JORDAN?
“We’re committed to the community here at The Court House and recently we collaborated with CHAS to create a new dessert. With every one sold, we will donate a portion of the profits to them. It was a great experience, not only devising the dish, but getting out of the kitchen to spend an afternoon with some of the kids they help and their amazing staff. We hosted a tasting event for them here at the restaurant where they chose their favourite. It’s really great to be able to see the reaction of people who are enjoying your food as that’s something the kitchen doesn’t often get to see. It was a great afternoon.”
The Court House Kinross new menu is also in place for autumn. Chef Jordan recommends the harissa spiced sea bass! You’ll also find the CHAS dessert on there, a creamy peanut butter crème brûlée, served with melt-on-the-mouth homemade jammy dodgers on the side! Doing good and tasting good!