Profiles

The Relais & Châteaux Chefs Turn Toward Sustainable Seafood

Jonathan Cartwright, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, The White Barn Inn & Spa, Maine, United States

Jonathan Cartwright came to Kennebunkport’s White Barn Inn in 1995. Now it is the only restaurant in New England to win the AAA Five Diamond and Mobile Five Star Awards.
Jonathan describes his cuisine at The White Barn Inn as: The finest contemporary New England cuisine with a European flair. With his team, they use as many local ingredients as possible, highlighting seafood from Kennebunkport waters as well as native game and poultry. They adapt traditional recipes, cook them, and present them using classical European techniques and style.

1) What is your background and how did you end up at The White Barn?
I am an English chef that fell into the apprentice program in my home town of Sheffield after my first dream of winning the tour de France was not coming along so well. After the apprenticeship I went on to the Savoy hotel London where I had an opportunity to join the Chef, Anton Edelmann, on a promotion for the Savoy’s centenary year in America, New York & LA. After the Savoy I moved to several other hotels around Europe & became familiar with the Relais & Chateaux family. I then joined Blantyre in Lenox Massachusetts for two summers & a winter in Puerto Rico at the Horned Dorset Primavera. After that I was asked by the late owner, Lawrence Bongiorno, of the White Barn Inn to come & work here. It only took a few minutes to realize that Laurie was a genius of a hotelier & had a very special place to perform at, this was 1995 & I have made Kennebunkport my home since.

2) What seafood do you offer your customers? And some of your favorites?
I offer Halibut, Yellow fin Tuna when in season in our waters, Lobster, Maine Shrimp in season, Scallops, Farm raised Salmon, Local cod. My favorites are Cod & Lobster; I enjoy cooking all seafood but really enjoy working with Lobster & Cod & then tasting the creations from these two items. I think that guests get great satisfaction from eating Maine lobster & the dishes the team & I create for them.

3) How do you work with your seafood suppliers to ensure you are getting good product from sustainable sources?
I think in Maine we take seafood pretty seriously & with the good quality suppliers we have we manage to purchase wonderful products. The Lobster is a fantastic example of this, in how well it is governed for fishing with size & female reproducers, it always amazes me how I am never told there are no more lobsters for us, we use a lot but by compared to some other Maine restaurants it is a small number!

4) Have you noticed any changes in recent years in terms of demand and supply for (sustainable) seafood?
Yes I think as the world & in particular the USA get more information on the problem of unsustainable products they are happier & more interested in enjoying sustainable species.

5) What is the role chefs can play in preserving fish stocks?
Part of our job as chefs is to educate & pass on information with the use of our menu message & the preparation of our wait staff. I always say to our wait staff that the guests not only pay for the food & the experience but at our price point they are hungry for information & professional knowledge & that is one of the responsibilities of their job.

6) Are there species you won't work with (is that a problem with customers)?
I do not use Blue Fin tuna, Tautog (Wolfe Fish). I have never had a problem with guests asking specifically for any items that are not on our menu, they seem to get what they are looking for & we try to buy & sell only local seafood.

6) R&C has taken a leadership role with its commitment. Why is this important?
I think it is important as we have the top chefs of the world & as mentors & teacher. If we don’t make a stand on important sustainable produce, who will?
I think the work that Seafood Choices is doing with Relais & Châteaux is very important to all of us and more so to us as chefs. I feel we have many problems in the kitchen from lack of education on certain subjects & lack of knowledge. Once you have these two very important tools you can then begin to create better menu items with ingredients that are sustainable & add to the variety of our diets & tastes.

The White Barn Inn & Spa
37 Beach Avenue
Kennebunk Beach - Maine 04043
United States
Tel: + 1 207 967 2321
Fax : + 1 207 967 1100
www.whitebarninn.com

About Relais & Châteaux:
Relais & Châteaux is an exclusive collection of nearly 500 of the finest, charming hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries.
Established in France in 1954, the Association’s mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.
Furthermore, Relais & Châteaux is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests are privy to moments of exceptional harmony, an unforgettable celebration of the senses.
From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country. The Relais & Châteaux signature reflects this ambition: “ALL AROUND THE WORLD, UNIQUE IN THE WORLD”.

Photos © Courtesy of the White Barn Inn

Posted in May 2011

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