We meet Jes James, the new head chef at Lost In The Lanes, to learn more about his journey and what’s in store for this much-loved Brighton venue. Jes shares his experience, culinary inspirations, and his vision for the restaurant under his leadership in this exciting new role.
Can you tell us a little about your journey into the restaurant industry?
I started working in kitchens in Guernsey when I was 13, training under award-winning chefs Tony Leck, Rene Bisson, and Robert Birch. That gave me a solid classical foundation and really cemented my passion for the industry.
After finishing my hospitality diploma, I moved to the UK to gain more experience and develop my own style.
I’ve worked in a range of kitchens for some amazing chefs since, such as Marco Pierre White, which has helped refine my approach to modern French techniques and seasonal cooking.
For me, it’s all about quality ingredients and showing my creativity.
What inspired you to become a chef?
I got inspired to cook from a very young age, watching tv shows like Ready, Steady, Cook. But these 3 chefs are why i push myself, Gordon Ramsay and Paul Bocuse & Jordi Roca are the chefs that have opened my eyes to the industry and helped me grow as a chef.
Your Instagram showcases a beautiful mix of food and creativity – how would you describe your personal cooking style?
My main style is French modern, but throughout my career, I’ve learned so many new techniques from different cultures, I’ve definitely created a way to adjust techniques to fit what i’m creating.
You’ve just taken over as Head Chef at Lost in the Lanes, what drew you to this role?
I spoke with Natalie, the owner of Lost, over a couple of months, it was a great process. Learning about what Natalie wants from the business and what I can bring, our views and ideas aligned and I couldn’t be happier with whats to come.
Lost in the Lanes has a strong identity when it comes to fresh, seasonal ingredients. How do you plan to put your own stamp on the menu?
I’m going to take that brand identity and run with it, fresh and seasonal is what lacks from a lot of restaurants now, I find places are leaning on what social media is telling us people want, rather than actually finding out for ourselves.
Fresh and seasonal should be the base values for every menu.
What can guests expect from your menus?
I’ll be taking influence from everywhere in the Mediterranean Basin, but still adding twists from my home island of Guernsey and beyond.
Sustainability is a big conversation in hospitality, how do you incorporate sustainable practice in your kitchen?
I believe low waste or even no waste is very achievable for all kitchens, I’m a nose to tail, root to tip kind of chef, if it can be used, it will be.
Describe a typical day in your kitchen. What’s the first thing you do when you arrive?
So as everyone knows by now, Lost In The Lanes has the best breakfast in Brighton, so getting ready for that first thing is priority, getting a pot boiling for the poached eggs, new potatoes onto the griddle getting crispy for the hash. Thinking past breakfast though, we will begin prepping for evening service, while we serve breakfast.
How do you inspire and motivate your team in the kitchen?
Keeping the teams minds busy and staying creative, with doing specials like our current £10 lunch menu, they will all have an opinion and let their chef brains go wild.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far in your career as a chef?
It’s impossible to please everyone that walks through the door, being a chef is an art form, so you do naturally become attached to what you create and if a negative comes up about that creation, take it, but don’t hold on to it.
What do you think makes a great dining experience beyond just the food?
The little things are what can make or break a dining experience, the food can be the best you’ve tasted ever, but if there wasn’t a warm welcome when you enter the venue, It takes the magic away.
What do you love most about being a chef in Brighton?
The chef community is incredible, ive been in brighton for a year now, and came knowing one or two chefs, now I know dozens. The great thing is, even if I am creating “competition” for another chef, we’ve always got each other’s back.
The city has a thriving food scene, any local restaurants you admire or like to visit on your days off?
I do enjoy a cafe/bakery, so my go too is cafe Julien Plumart or Little Loaf in the open market.
For evening food its Bonsai Plant Kitchen or El Bolilo.
Bonsai Plant Kitchen
What’s next for Lost in the Lanes under the Jes James leadership?
We’re still very young as a destination for evening food in Brighton, so getting people to know that we are there, but past that, awards, awards, awards.
Being that place everyone wants to eat at.
Any exciting projects or plans in the pipeline?
More chef collaborations, like what we have done on the 28th of February with Julien Plumart, putting 2 chefs from different venues together to create is exciting for the chef, and the guests.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to aspiring chefs, what would it be?
Don’t hesitate, being a chef is an amazing career choice, even though schools don’t push it as that, it’s definitely fulfilling in so many ways.
So if you want to become a chef, Walk into that restaurant, pub or cafe, and just ask to speak to the head chef, we’re not scary people.
