Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2013 | Page 105

FOOD

Friends reunited
at Priory Bay
Oliver Stephens returned to Priory
Bay last autumn as Head Chef and was
joined by his childhood friend, James
Trevaskis, who took up the role of
Restaurant Manager and Sommelier.
James and Oliver were brought up in
Bembridge and St Helens and started
their careers at Priory Bay.
Now they have established a network
of local suppliers and base their menus
on whatever is in season and at its best.
Oliver said: “Much of our fish comes
from the bay and our crab and lobster
straight from Bembridge. We get fresh
herbs from the garden and wild herbs
from the orchard and beach.”
Oliver’s first school was Nettlestone
Primary. He met James playing
football in Bembridge; it was a start of
a lifelong friendship which developed
through Forelands Middle School and
Sandown High. James was best man
at Oliver’s wedding to his charming
French wife, Caroline. They now have
a 10 month old son, Louis.
Oliver first worked at Priory Bay at
the age of 16 and soon established
himself as a potential star when he
took over the role of head chef at
the Beach Bar. After the summer he

returned to the main kitchen and
asked for a chance to go to the one
Michelin starred Roussillon restaurant
in London. His hard work and
commitment led to opportunities to
go to Paris where he worked under
Jean-François Piège, at the 2-Michelin
Star Les Ambassadeurs in the Hôtel de
Crillon in Paris.
On his days off he worked and made
friends in many of the more casual
bistros to gain an understanding of
more rustic regional food. Oliver
wanted to broaden his experience and
after a trial at Noma, Copenhagen, he
was asked to work with René Redzepi
for two years.
“My childhood memories of finding
food in the hedgerows and catchi