Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2008 | Page 103

FOOD & DRINK

life

the interview
Mike Lloyd of
Lugley’s, Cowes
For a man who’d only been in the job five weeks
when I meet him, Mike Lloyd is looking pretty
relaxed. He’s the new chef at Lugley’s of Cowes and
is happy with his lot.
“I’m so used to me trying to go one way and 200
people are coming towards me the other. Here I get
off the bus and walk down the little cobbled streets!
It’s changed me a lot coming here. If it’s getting
busy on a Friday or Saturday I just feel relaxed,
I’m here to have fun, cook good food and be happy.
There’s no point coming to work if you can’t do
that.”
For someone who has worked in some of London’s
busiest restaurants Mike sounds so laid back as to be
almost horizontal. The contrast between Cowes out
of season and the likes of the Lanesborough Hotel or
Michelin-starred Nico Central is cosmic.
He is a man who has found the right niche at the
right time in his life. He and his wife, who is an
Islander, have an eight month old boy, which was
probably what prompted Mike to want to make the
getaway from London. He sent off letters on spec,
had a short positive interview at Lugley’s and his life
changed. But has Lugley’s changed too?
“I changed the menu in my second week. Lugley’s is
a smart casual restaurant; it was doing the trade, but
just needed a little bit of loving care.”
Mike found the proprietor, Paul Veneables, was on
his wavelength. “I said I wanted to take it onto the
next level, making fresh terrines and fresh pasta,
different specials every day and dishes like that. Paul
has been really generous letting me buy all extra
equipment I needed.”
Fully equipped, Mike is doing what he calls “a nice
simple little menu.” Lunch, he says, “is just very
lunchy. Steak sandwiches, venison sausage with sweet
potato puree – very simple, everything fresh. At
dinner time we tend to go more up market, but still
in keeping with modern British cuisine.”
He plans to change the menu every six to eight
weeks, and is looking forward to supporting local
farmers in what he chooses. The contrast with
London is again apparent: “In London you phone up
your supplier and can get anything you want. Here,
the suppliers phone and tell me what local supplies
are available. As I go home on the bus I’m thinking
about what I can do with these local ingredients the
next morning!” Lugley's, Cowes Tel: [phone]

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