Gary Pearce, chef proprietor of Emsworth's 36 On The Quay shares his inspiration, proudest moment and his culinary guilty pleasure
36 On the Quay is an independent, family restaurant run by Gary and Martyna Pearce and their team. Gary first joined in 1998 as a 17-year-old, fresh from the college, working with chef Ramon Farthing for many years learning the skills and building his knowledge.
To broaden his horizons Gary started work at 2 Michelin star Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham where he met his future wife Martyna - a front of the house and law student at that time.
After leaving Cheltenham, Gary went to work in the mainland Europe, with stints at Noma, Aqua in Germany, Old Sluis in Netherlands and Oaxen Krog in Sweden to name a few.
From there Gary and Martyna moved to Belgium to work at 1 Michelin star In De Wulf, moving back to England a couple of years later. Upon returning in 2013 Gary re-joined 36 On The Quay as a head chef and Martyna as a front of the house manager.
They worked closely with Ramon and Karen Farthing who gave them the opportunity of buying the restaurant - which took place in May 2019.
Today, together with their dream team, they strive to implement their knowledge and experience to deliver relaxed yet elevated dining and bespoke stay experience.
36 On The Quay is a vibrant and modern restaurant with rooms situated right on the Emsworth Quay harbour. With crisp white linen, silver cutlery and contemporary menus it describes itself as the perfect mix of the high quality and relaxed dining, with an 'adventurous' menu created by Gary and his team.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
My father and his family were all in the motor trade and after trying that for a while it was obvious to me that it wasn’t my long term future. I had always had an interest in food and cooking but never really knew I wanted to be a chef until my grandfather, who was a retired butcher, took me under his wing and showed me how to butcher and prepare food. From that moment on my passion was ignited and I swapped spanners for spatula’s. Even though it's not been an easy path to follow, my passion for cooking and exploring food hasn’t diminished. If I'm honest I think it's increased, as I love what I do.
What is your proudest career moment?
To have your food recognised, being awarded 3 AA rosettes and being listed in the Michelin guide is incredibly emotional and memorable, and to have such a fantastic customer base is an amazing feeling. Also having my own restaurant, establishing our brand and sharing our passion with our customers is the best of all. In fact when I think about it my first job in a Michelin Star restaurant was here at 36 On The Quay and I remember often dreaming of owning my own restaurant one day and to now think that I own 36 On The Quay is an amazing dream come true.
What is your signature dish?
I don’t have a signature dish, I am constantly evolving and developing new flavours. The whole concept of our restaurant is to take our customer on a taste adventure, a trip down the rabbit hole in exploration of flavour, so I suppose my signature is just that.
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
We don’t have a specific favourite, we try to support lots of local restaurants and cafes as there are so many good ones in Hampshire and they all need our support to continue in these challenging times. There is a vast range of cultures and diversity in Hampshire and we are incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant food culture so nearby. Being as my wife is Polish we already have two different food cultures in our family and we are now introducing our two children into all the other wonderful international flavours available on our doorstep.
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
I must admit I do love my wife’s cooking too, so I don’t cook often at home. But when I do I tend to favour Korean style flavours. With my love of meats from my grandfather I do love barbecue Korean beef with sticky rice.
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
Bad as it is, I’m a sucker for sugar, butter and fat. I believe flavours like these are the cornerstones of what made me want to be a chef and they have and will continue to have a hold on my taste buds for many years to come.
What is your favourite Hampshire delicacy?
Within Hampshire there is an abundance of excellent food, from Tunworth cheese to Chalk stream trout so plenty to choose from.
