Henry Omereye | Source | Chef Patron at Riding House Cafes

Omereye began cooking for his father and siblings where he grew up in Nigeria from the young age of ten years old. His father, who worked at the BBC, used to bring British foods for him and his siblings to try, which sparked an initial interest in food and the combination of flavours from different continents.

Omereye attended the Butler’s Wharf Chef School when he was 18 before being scouted to join Harrods by the Executive Chef. He then spent six years at Harrods as one of the youngest ever chefs to run the kitchens, cooking classical French and British cuisine.

Seeking next to expand his culinary repertoire, Omereye took up a position at Sartoria, then owned by Sir Terance Conran, from whom he learnt much by way of kitchen discipline. He then joined Luciano’s as a Senior Chef de Partie, before working his way up to the position of Head Chef, under the eye of Marco Pierre White.

Marco offered Omereye a job at Frankie’s Chiswick, co-founded by Frankie Dettori, where he spent eight years running the kitchen. Next, Omereye took up a position at Smithfield in Farringdon, where he was hired by John Torode.

Omereye then made the move to Barbados in 2015 where he was able to hone his craft, learning to make local dishes such as fishcakes, fish cutters, souse (pickled pork belly) and use ingredients such as bread fruit, opening his eyes to traditional food that catered to local tastes. Omereye opened The Cliff Beach Club, part of The Cliff that had been established for twenty years, serving local-style dishes that were unfussy and uncomplicated, but that also introduced ingredients that weren’t local to Barbados that he imported from Miami. Initially, The Cliff Beach Club was very much for the locals, and featured live bands, and signature dishes with good quality steak, salads and octopus, but word got round and it soon became a destination for tourists as well.

Omereye then made the move back to London to work at Smiths of Smithfield, which he had always loved, and started implementing some Caribbean-style dishes on the menu. The restaurant was then sold to Young's Brewery.

Omereye then moved to Riding House Café, where the founder Adam White offered him his own input into the food. Omereye is constantly learning from his peers in the kitchen, who introduce him to new flavours and ideas. Having worked with several Executive Chefs throughout his career, Omereye prides himself on his fair conduct in the kitchen, with a team that has a family-feel, grounded on the foundations of trust and respect.

Omereye is open minded when it comes to his cooking at Riding and Rail House Café to make way for new combinations of ingredients that play around with Caribbean and African flavours, such as the Cocoyam Mash, a twist on the dish his Mum used to make for him as a boy, and Cassava Hummus. The menu at the new Bloomsbury site, opening in spring 2022, will also serve these well-loved dishes, which include those he’s most proud of, such as the Lobster Lasagne and the Cod Fritters with Bajan pepper sauce, a recipe learnt from his mother in law and that reminds him of Barbados.

Omereye would like to go back to Barbados once his kids are old enough, where he would open a little cafe on the beach.