Firelake Grill House brings some American open flame cooking to Leeds. From the 11th to the 19th of August over 50 restaurants (and counting!) are giving you the chance to sample the best of their menus with a single purchase. From vibrant tapas selections to two and three course set menus, this is a great way to try somewhere for the first time or revisit an old favourite! Taking a look at the Facebook pages for this incredible week it quickly apparent that there’s more offers available than you can reasonably try in a week. So, our suggestion is to try an unreasonable number, they all look too good to miss out on! Sometimes the best restaurants are the ones you never think about, creating a restaurant that stands apart from a hotel is difficult, but that’s just what they’e been doing at Firelake. Taking inspiration from the wilds of Minnesota, while not forgetting their home of Yorkshire. They combine these two by sourcing local produce and some of the finest artisan cheeses Yorkshire has to offer. This week we chatted to Craig to see where he gets his passion for food from….. Here’s what he had to say… Meet Craig – Firelake Grill House Q – Where are you originally from? A – Rotherham south Yorkshire Q – When did you first become interested in cooking? A – From a young age probably around my early teens Q – Who was your biggest inspiration? A – Being classically trained I always looked up to people like the roux brothers, Pierre Koffmann, Q – What changes have you seen, if any, in the way the restaurant world has changed? ie have peoples tastes changed, do people expect more nowadays etc..? A – I think peoples tastes are changing and moving towards strong bold flavors but cooked more simplistic charcoal and wood are playing big a big part in this good honest food done well with a modern twist Q – What has been your biggest success to date? A – Probably winning the Yorkshire Post restaurants of the year in my first head chef role Q – What’s the must try dish on your menu? A – I would have to say the lamb rump or one of our steaks which are locally sourced as there cooked in the josper charcoal oven Q – What would be your tip for upcoming chefs? A – Get as much experience as you can and be committed as it is a way of life and not just a job Q – What are the 3 main components to running a successful restaurant? A – Know your customer base, be financially astute, invest in your staff Q – What do you hope people think when they’ve dined with you? A – I want people to be blown away with the flavors and be talking about the experience that they have had here Q – Finally, If you could summarise, what do you believe good cooking is all about? A – Being true to the dish, using the best ingredients you can find being daring and innovative