By Mark Tavender
Photography by Lisa Young
Lewis Morrison is on a mission. He wants the people of North Shields to eat good, fresh seasonal food that doesn’t cost the earth. At just 30 years of age he is already the co-owner and Executive Chef at the sublime 31 The Quay, located at Smith’s Dock on North Shields’ Fish Quay. I met with him on a wet and windy morning at the beginning of April to chat about his passion for food and hospitality, where it came from and what he wants to do next.
An only child, Lewis says his love for cooking good food came from his Mam who showed her love for family and friends by cooking and providing them with food when they visited. There was always a food programme showing on the TV which, as a young child became part of the family ritual and, Lewis believes, sowed the seed for his future career.
Having completed his A levels his and his family’s sights were set on him going to University to study English Literature and History before going on to qualify as a teacher. But just before he was due to start University, Lewis had an epiphany and realised that all he was doing was fulfilling an expectation he did not really want to be part of – so, without telling his parents, he dropped out of university and instead enrolled on a catering course at Newcastle College – he tells me he did it this way to indicate to his parents how serious he was about following his true vocation..
His decision soon proved to be the right one – he was in his element and having studied and learned all about food safety and hygiene, kitchen protocols and the other fundamentals of cooking, he was made “Student Of The Year”.
This led to him being entered into a competition called the “Future Chef of the Year” at the 2013 Salon Culinaire Festival, which was held by the North East Culinary Trade Association (NECTA) at Newcastle’s Civic Centre. There he had to prepare a tasting dish (which he had spent one month at the prestigious Vallum Farm, now Pine, learning to perfect) in front of expert chefs before being interviewed by a panel – he clearly impressed the judges because he came first, in a tough final of 6 aspiring chefs.
As a result he secured a work-experience role at Food Social (now Artisan) at the Biscuit Factory owned and run by the esteemed North East chef David Kennedy who Lewis still regards as his mentor.
Lewis worked there for around 4 months, doing very long hours but gaining invaluable experience before continuing his studies at Newcastle College.
[tds_partial_locker tds_locker_id=”100″]Part of his college course included a visit to Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant in London called Maze (as it was then) – once again, Lewis gained further insight into the trade and wasted no time in contacting the restaurant on his return asking if he could work there full time after he had completed his studies. As we know well in the North East, ‘shy bairns get nowt’ and the restaurant replied offering him a placement – Lewis was barely 20 years old.
So, in 2013, he found himself living and working in the heart of London, a bustling 24 hour capital, much different from what he had been used to. Lewis tells me it was full on and exciting but also eye opening and at times, a rude awakening.
It took him a while to get used to the relentless pace but he learned a lot impressing staff with his innovative dishes. He was working very long hours, barely getting 4 hours sleep a night and whilst the money was good, the cost of living in the centre of London meant that he was worse off in real terms. Personal circumstances meant he had to return to his native North East and, armed with new experience and ideas, went to work full time at Food Social (Artisan), where he had first gained work experience as a chef. There he remained for the next 5 years, working 60-80 hours a week, further honing his craft.
In 2018, he made the brave decision to leave the industry altogether – he was now married and he and his wife were starting a family. He was acutely aware of the demands required to continue at his level in the trade and felt this would conflict with his desire to be present and play a full part in his child’s life.
He missed working as a chef, which he viewed as his true vocation, but wasn’t actively looking to return to the trade – until, that is, he received a call out of the blue from the owner of the property that was to become the restaurant 31 The Quay asking him to be part of a new team running the kitchen. His interest and desire was immediately piqued and it wasn’t long before he accepted an offer to be Head Chef. The new restaurant opened in June 2019 and was an immediate hit.
But things were about to change quickly and could have easily put an end to the new venture – in December 2019, the Executive Chef left and barely 3 months later, the Covid 19 pandemic swept in.
This did not deter Lewis though – instead, his innovative streak came to the fore and he designed food packages that could be delivered to homes for people to cook themselves. Most of the preparation had been done by him so little work was required by the customer to end up with a delicious restaurant quality meal – these packages proved a success and kept the name of the restaurant in people’s minds.
The restaurant re-opened in September 2020 (albeit with restrictions) and by now Lewis was the Executive Chef and co-owner, no doubt a reward for his hard work in keeping the business going through those tough times.
Through word of mouth, it has slowly gained popularity and its regular customer base has grown quickly, a fact that Lewis is proud of as it shows he must be doing something right if people are prepared to return once they have been for the first time.
He is keen to point out the the rest of the team he has put together because without them, the place would not operate as it does; Lewis is the Head Chef in the kitchen but he is ably assisted by his sous-chef Tom, the chef de partie Joe and the kitchen porter ‘Heavy.’ He also has a lot of praise for his current waiting staff too; Holly, Brodie, Jenny, Jacob and Willow. He also reserves a special mention for Di Veitch, the original owner of 31 The Quay and now his business partner, and who, he says, was instrumental in helping him navigate the difficult times.
The restaurant itself is well set out; very spacious with an open kitchen and floor to ceiling windows overlooking The Tyne. In no
way is it fussy and the atmosphere is informal and relaxed. The waiting staff are attentive but not overly so. Lewis says that a lot of effort goes into making the restaurant into what it is.
He is eager to mention that it is not what might be considered as ‘fine dining’ but instead good quality, sustainable seasonal food that is wholesome and tasty. He is aware that his menus might be at the pricier end of the market but it is value not cost that is important to him; he doesn’t expect customers to be coming every single week but maybe one or twice a month or for a special treat.
In addition there are no formalities or dress code that some restaurants serving this quality of food might insist on; jeans, t-shirts (even a Toon top – he’s a fervent supporter of Newcastle United) are all fine by him; he just wants to serve up good, delicious food to people to enjoy in a happy, relaxed atmosphere.
31 The Quay will be celebrating its 5th birthday this coming June so look out for special menus that he’s putting together and get yourself there.
