From MasterChef Champion to Hove Essential
A decade after winning MasterChef: The Professionals, Steven Edwards has spent the years since refining his craft and deepening his understanding of etch. and its customers. The restaurant now holds three AA Rosettes and Michelin recognition, with exciting new projects at Brighton and Hove Albion and Nyetimber adding to the momentum. Restaurants Brighton sat down with Steven to hear the story so far.
What is one belief about food or restaurants that you have completely changed your mind about since winning MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013?
When I won MasterChef, I probably believed that technical perfection was everything.
Over the years I’ve realised that whilst great cooking is essential, it’s only one part of the experience. Hospitality is about making people feel welcome, relaxed and cared for. Guests might not remember every garnish on a plate, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel. That’s something I’ve learnt through experience and it’s become just as important to me as the food itself.
etch. has been part of Brighton & Hove’s dining scene for almost a decade. What do you think the restaurant does better now than when it first opened?
Confidence. We know exactly who we are now.
In the early years we were still discovering our identity, but today every decision feels much more considered. The cooking is more refined, the menus are more focused and we’re much more confident in letting outstanding British ingredients speak for themselves. We’ve also built an exceptional team over the years, and that consistency has allowed us to continually improve every aspect of the guest experience.
As your work expands beyond etch., how do you make sure the restaurant still feels unmistakably yours and personally led by you?
Everything still starts at etch. I’m involved in every menu change, every new dish and the direction of the Hove restaurant. I’ve been fortunate to build a fantastic team that I trust completely, which allows me to work on projects like Epic, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nyetimber without losing sight of what makes etch. special. Those experiences actually feed back into the restaurant and help us keep evolving while staying true to who we are.
etch. Restaurant Today
etch. is known for seasonal, ingredient-led tasting menus centred on British produce. What are you most excited about on the summer menu this year?
Summer is one of my favourite seasons because the ingredients almost do the work for you. This year’s menu celebrates some incredible British produce, from beautiful stone bass and Isle of Wight tomatoes to Cornish lamb, local peas, broad beans and cherries. There’s a freshness and simplicity to summer cooking that I really enjoy, allowing each ingredient to shine at its absolute best.
Your cooking is often built around two main ingredients, allowing the produce to take centre stage. Why does that discipline still appeal to you, and when are you tempted to break your own rules?
I’ve always believed that exceptional ingredients deserve to be the hero of the plate.
Restricting myself to one or two key ingredients forces me to think harder about flavour, balance and technique instead of relying on lots of components. Of course there are occasions where a dish naturally becomes more complex, particularly during autumn and winter, but simplicity remains the philosophy that underpins almost everything we do.
Your wine director, Sam Weatherill, recently won Best Performer in Food & Wine Matching at the UK Sommelier of the Year competition. What does that recognition say about the role wine now plays at etch.?
I’m incredibly proud of Sam. It’s fantastic recognition for the hard work and dedication he’s put into developing our wine programme. Wine isn’t something we think about once the food is finished. It forms part of the creative process from the beginning. Sam and I spend a lot of time discussing dishes together, and we’re constantly refining pairings to create a complete dining experience. His recent success reflects the standards we all strive for.
Guest Chef Evenings have become a regular fixture at the restaurant. What have you learnt from inviting other chefs into your kitchen, and has anyone challenged the way you think about your own food?
Every chef approaches ingredients differently, and it’s always inspiring to see someone else’s thought process. The Guest Chef Series isn’t about competition, it’s about learning, sharing ideas and celebrating great cooking. Every guest chef has left me with something to think about, whether that’s a technique, a flavour combination or simply a different way of looking at hospitality. I think staying curious is one of the most important qualities you can have as a chef.
Brighton & Hove Albion
You have worked with Brighton & Hove Albion for several years, from the Tunnel Club to BITES at The Terrace. Where did your connection with football begin?
Football has always been a big part of my life. I grew up supporting the game, played regularly when I was younger, and I still enjoy getting involved in charity matches whenever I can. To now work so closely with Brighton & Hove Albion is something I’m genuinely proud of. It’s given me a completely different perspective on what goes into creating an exceptional matchday experience. The club is incredibly ambitious and shares many of the same values we have at etch. – quality, innovation and putting people first. It’s been hugely rewarding to play a small part in that journey.
What does your work at the Amex involve on a matchday, and how does feeding a football crowd challenge you differently from service at etch.?
They’re completely different worlds. At etch. we’re serving a tasting menu to a relatively small number of guests over several hours. At the Amex we’re producing food at scale, often within tight timeframes, whilst maintaining consistency and quality.
It requires different systems, different planning and a different mindset, but the goal is exactly the same, to give guests a memorable experience.
Has working at that scale changed the way you think about hospitality, accessibility or what makes a memorable meal?
Absolutely. Great hospitality doesn’t have to be expensive or formal. Whether someone is enjoying a tasting menu at etch. or a burger before watching Brighton play, they deserve the same care, attention and quality. Working across different environments has reinforced that hospitality is about exceeding expectations, whatever the setting.
Nyetimber
You were appointed executive chef to the Nyetimber Estate earlier this year. What attracted you to the role, beyond the reputation of the wine itself?
It felt like a natural progression. When we opened etch., we made the conscious decision not to serve Champagne at all. Instead, we chose to champion English sparkling wine at a time when very few restaurants were doing so. Nyetimber has been our partner from day one, and over the years we’ve built one of the largest and most comprehensive English wine lists in the country. I’ve never made any secret of the fact that Nyetimber is my favourite English sparkling wine, so when the opportunity arose to deepen that relationship, it was an easy decision. Being able to create food that complements wines I’ve admired and worked with for so many years, while helping shape the hospitality offering at the estate, feels like a genuine privilege and an exciting new chapter.
How does your creative process change when the dish is being designed around the wine, rather than the wine being selected to accompany the food?
It’s a fascinating process because the wine becomes the starting point. I’ll spend time understanding its texture, acidity and aromas before thinking about ingredients that naturally enhance those characteristics. It has encouraged me to think differently about flavour and balance, and it’s made me an even better chef as a result.
What have you learnt from working across a vineyard, a football stadium and a tasting-menu restaurant that you could not have learnt from etch. alone?
Each environment presents completely different challenges, and that’s what makes it so rewarding. At etch. it’s all about precision and attention to detail. At Brighton it’s about delivering quality consistently at scale. At Nyetimber it’s about creating dishes that tell the story of the wine. Moving between those worlds has made me more adaptable and reminded me that great hospitality comes in many different forms.
Michelin and Brighton & Hove
Maré recently became Brighton & Hove’s first Michelin-starred restaurant in almost 50 years. What do you think Maré’s success could do for Brighton & Hove’s wider restaurant scene?
It’s fantastic news for Brighton. Any national recognition helps raise the profile of the city’s food scene and encourages more people to visit. Brighton has always been full of talented chefs and independent restaurants, so seeing another restaurant recognised at that level benefits everyone. A thriving restaurant community pushes all of us to keep improving, and that’s something to celebrate.
Looking Ahead
With so many different projects competing for your attention, how do you decide which opportunities to pursue and which to turn down?
I’m much more selective than I was earlier in my career. Every opportunity has to feel like the right fit, both personally and professionally. It needs to excite me, challenge me creatively and align with the values we’ve built at etch. If it takes me away from those priorities without adding something meaningful, then it’s probably not the right opportunity.
At this stage of your career, what would meaningful success look like over the next five years?
For me, success isn’t about opening lots of restaurants or chasing awards. It’s about continuing to build strong teams, creating memorable experiences for guests and helping the businesses I’m involved with continue to grow. I’d love to see etch. remain one of the country’s leading independent restaurants, continue developing exciting partnerships like Brighton & Hove Albion and Nyetimber, and hopefully inspire the next generation of chefs along the way. If we’re still evolving, still learning and still making people happy through food and hospitality, I’d consider that a success.
