At just thirteen years old, Adam Janman was washing pots at a garden centre café, never imagining it would be the first step towards running a kitchen of his own. Today, he leads the team at The Bell Tower in Kemptown, part of the Golden Lion Group, where a menu that changes every eight weeks takes diners travelling around the world through big plates, small plates and a well-earned reputation for one of the best Sunday roasts in Brighton. We sat down with Adam to talk about his path into hospitality, his love of fresh coastal fish, and how he balances pub classics with bold, ever-changing themes.
How would you describe the food offering at The Bell Tower?
If you have not visited The Bell Tower before we offer a section of small plates and big plates.
Every eight weeks we change the menu.
We call it travelling around the world so each menu is a different theme.
For example Asian, French, Spanish etc. We also came 3rd place in the BRAVO Awards for Best Sunday Roast (and first place for pubs, as the first is a restaurant and second is a hotel).
What first inspired you to become a chef, and where has your career taken you so far?
I started as a KP/waiter at Old Barn Garden Centre when I was 13. I was there for a few years, just working weekends. One day, the chef didn’t turn up, so the head chef said, “Jump on with me.” Then the head chef left and set up his own restaurant, and asked me if I wanted to come and work for him.
I then went to The Green Man in Partridge Green, where I learnt a lot. I was then asked to become head chef at Hurtwood Park Polo Club, owned by Kenney Jones, the drummer for Small Faces. From there, I went to The Bat & Ball at Wisborough Green, followed by Wickwoods Country Club as a Senior CDP, where I learnt AA Rosette cooking.
After that, I left Wickwoods and came to The Bell Tower, which was The Daddy Longlegs at the time, eight years ago.
The Bell Tower is part of the Golden Lion Group. What’s it like working within the group, and what makes it a good fit for you as a chef?
Being part of the Golden Lion Group is good because we are the only in-house kitchen. All the other pubs are franchised so it allows myself and Sous Chef Dan to play with the menus and come up with some great dishes.
We have a Mediterranean menu at the moment, so the three dishes I would choose are:
- Tempura sardines with preserved lemon aioli and bottarga.
- Barnsley lamb chops with cumin olive tapenade and confit garlic courgettes.
- Whole grilled fish with a clam and butterbean beurre blanc.
The Bell Tower champions quality British pub food. How do you balance traditional pub favourites with modern dining trends?
As we do a themed menu, we put our own twist on pub classics and larger plates. We still do fish and chips and burgers, but we make them fit the theme. At the moment, with our Mediterranean menu, we have a beef and chorizo burger and fish and chips with a salsa verde dip.
What is your favourite ingredient to work with, and what makes it so versatile or exciting?
My favourite ingredient to work with is any kind of fish.
Being right on the coast, you can’t get better than fresh fish.
We use MCB Seafoods, and the quality is first class.
