Hotel Cateys 2023: Hotel Restaurant Chef of the Year – Mathew Sherry, Number One, the Balmoral

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Mathew Sherry joined Number One, the fine dining restaurant at Edinburgh’s the Balmoral a Rocco Forte Hotel over two years ago and in that time has continuously elevated the experience for both his team and guests.

The head chef oversees the 50 cover restaurant, focussing on dinner service with his brigade of 15 chefs. He works closely with restaurant manager Emma Lonie and her 28 strong front of house team, to deliver a seven course seasonal menu inspired by Scottish produce.

Solely delivering a seasonal fine dining menu means the team at Number One can focus on a few outstanding dishes, improve food costs and reduce wastage. Sherry has optimised staffing levels, while inspiring the team to deliver a new menu every six to eight weeks. To remain attractive in a competitive city market Sherry has introduced a midweek £85, three course menu which has appealed to a new profile of guest, who in many cases have returned for the full seven course experience.

While uptake for the seven course menu is extremely high, new beverage initiatives between Sherry and restaurant manager Lonie have driven average beverage spend. Their efforts have increased monthly revenue by 10% year on year. Meanwhile, Sherry has been integral to the development of a new private dining room, which was completed in July 2023. The space allows an extra level of dining for guests, providing an exclusive and personal experience, with an intimate private room and the option for a completely tailored menu. It was used six times in its first six weeks, achieving thousands of pounds in extra revenue and attracting attention from local and national press.

Though it has been a challenging time for staff retention and recruitment, Sherry has lead, coached and mentored his team through the last two years and kept 50% of the opening team within the brigade.

He also takes the time to bring together front of house and the kitchen brigade as one team to promote passion for the produce and the people behind the menu. He creates recipes and fact sheets, and holds team tastings at various stages of menu development. Sherry also champions supplier meetings, visits and training, encouraging his team to visit and learn from their suppliers.

And Sherry’s cooking has garnered critical acclaim too. He achieved entry into the Michelin Guide seven months after taking over Number One, four AA Rosettes were also awarded in his first year and the restaurant received a score of 30/30 in the food section of the AA hotel report. Now he can add a Hotel Catey to his list of accolades.

What the judges said

“It’s clear that the kitchen and front of house support and work well together, inspired by the work Matthew does and the value he places on collaboration.” Sarah Williams

“We loved how he brings together front and back of house to treat them as one team. Evidently a great chef with strong leadership.” Fiona Lane

The shortlist

• Samira Effa, Grantley Hall
• Rob Mason, The Cottage in the Wood
• Mathew Sherry, The Balmoral
• Tom Tsappis, Killiecrankie House