After a historic 50-year wait, the Michelin star has returned to Brighton, finding its home at Maré in Hove. At the heart of this achievement are twin sisters and Sous Chefs, Beth and Lauren. Born and bred in Brighton, the duo brings a unique “sibling shorthand” to the city’s most exciting kitchen. We caught up with them to discuss their journey from childhood baking to professional excellence and what it feels like to make culinary history in their hometown.
After a 50-year wait, Maré has officially brought a Michelin star back to Brighton and Hove – how does it feel to be at the heart of that historic win?
Beth: It honestly feels surreal. When it happened we couldn’t believe it, and it still doesn’t quite feel real even saying it now. Being part of something like this is something we’ve always dreamed of, so for it to actually be reality is crazy. It’s such an achievement to say you work in a Michelin-starred restaurant, but to be part of a restaurant receiving one in our hometown – which hasn’t had one for 50 years – is something we’re incredibly proud of.
Lauren: We’re still trying to process that it actually happened! It feels amazing to have grown up in Brighton, worked in the hospitality industry here, and now be part of bringing something this huge back to the city. It’s an incredible feeling for all of us.
As Sous Chefs, you’re the engine room of the kitchen; how do you divide your responsibilities, and does that “sibling shorthand” help when service gets intense?
Beth: Being twin sisters definitely makes a huge difference in the kitchen. We’ve worked together before, then had a few years apart, but we just fell back into it naturally. We work very similarly, which makes service really smooth, even during the busiest periods.
Lauren: We divided different aspects of the menu between all of us – service is great, especially working alongside each other. We’re very similar people, which really helps with the flow of service and the overall kitchen environment..
Maré is currently the hottest table in the city—what’s the energy like behind the scenes right now compared to when you first opened?
Beth: There’s a lot of excitement in the team at the moment, as you’d expect. Everyone is incredibly proud because this is something we’ve achieved together, with every single person giving 100%. It really does feel like one big family.
Lauren: I wouldn’t say there’s been a huge shift in energy since opening though – we’ve always been passionate and excited about cooking, and we brought that with us from previous kitchens. We were all so excited to finally work together, as it had been something we’d talked about for years. If anything, the star has just amplified that feeling even more.
Who were the chefs or mentors that first made you both want to pick up a knife and pursue this career?
Beth: We both started cooking when we were quite young. We loved baking at home with each other and our mum any chance we could get. Food was always a big part of our family. We would always all sit down and eat dinner together, if we were planning on going out as a family normally, we would be going out for dinner. My mum suggested cooking and that’s when we started doing a young chefs academy course at Westminster Kingsway college on the weekends. We both loved it and learnt so much just in those weekends and we knew then that’s what we wanted to do. So we decided to go and study at Westminster on their professional chef diploma course. This was the best decision we both made and really shaped us into the chefs we are today.
Lauren: Our mum was the first person who guided us into cooking. We always loved watching programmes like Great British Menu and MasterChef, and alongside cooking at home from a young age, she encouraged us to pursue something we genuinely enjoyed.
You’ve both worked in various high-end kitchens; what makes the culture and creative process at Maré different from anywhere else?
Beth: Maré is a very family-oriented kitchen, full of passion. We go into work every day knowing we’re surrounded by people who care just as much as we do – not only about the food, but about each other, which is a really nice thing to find in the industry. It’s such a positive, fun environment, and that really shows in the kitchen.
Lauren: Like Beth said, there’s a real family presence in the kitchen, unlike anywhere we’ve worked before. It’s an amazing atmosphere, and we all respect each other’s previous experiences and ideas. That helps create a team that’s constantly learning from one another and working together.
Beyond your own team, which chefs in the current UK food scene do you find most inspiring right now?
Beth: Sally Abé. She’s an incredible chef who has worked in some of the best kitchens in the UK, and she’s a huge inspiration for women in the industry, particularly in striving for safe and fair working environments.
Lauren: Another source of inspiration for us right now would also be Nieves Barragán. It’s extremely inspiring to see what she’s achieved in the industry.